Hungary, Slovakia to challenge EU regulation on banning import of Russian oil and gas

Hungary and, likely, Slovakia will challenge in the European Court the EU plan to ban the import of Russian gas and oil.

According to Ukrinform, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated this on social network X.

"As soon as the RePowerEU plan is adopted next week, together with Slovakia we will submit an annulment request to the European Court of Justice and we will ask for the suspension of the regulation for the duration of the court proceedings," he noted.

He explained this step by saying that the ban on importing Russian oil and gas "would make the secure energy supply of Hungary and Slovakia impossible and would lead to dramatic price increases."

In addition, Szijjarto accused the EU of "massive legal fraud," since, in his view, the RePowerEU plan "is clearly a sanctions measure that would require unanimous approval." He claims that this plan contradicts EU agreements that define energy policy as a matter of national competence of the member states.

Szijjarto had already stated earlier that Hungary intended to challenge the EU decision on the gradual phaseout of Russian gas.

As Ukrinform reported, in recent days the EU Council presidency and representatives of the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on a regulation for the gradual cessation of importing Russian natural gas by 2027.

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