Hungary and Slovakia to challenge EU ban on Russian gas and oil imports
Photo: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó (Getty Images)
Hungary and Slovakia will appeal to the European Court of Justice to challenge the EU's plan to ban imports of Russian gas and oil, reports Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
Szijjártó warned that once the RePowerEU plan is adopted next week, Hungary and Slovakia will submit a petition to the European Court. They will request the annulment of the plan and ask for a suspension of the measure while the case is under review.
"We are taking this step because banning Russian oil and gas imports would make the secure energy supply of Hungary and Slovakia impossible and would lead to dramatic price increases," he wrote.
Szijjártó called the measure "a massive legal fraud" and said the document is "clearly a sanctions measure that would require unanimous approval."
He also argued that the plan contradicts EU treaties, which designate energy policy as a matter of national competence.
EU moves to phase out Russian gas
On October 20, the EU Council adopted a common position on the gradual phase-out of Russian gas imports under the REPowerEU plan, which envisions a complete abandonment of Russian energy resources.
Hungary and Slovakia opposed the decision, with Péter Szijjártó stating that Budapest does not support restrictions on Russian oil imports, warning that such measures could jeopardize the country's energy security.
Since Hungary and Slovakia frequently block new sanctions against Russia, the European Commission has proposed altering the decision-making process, replacing unanimous approval with a majority vote among EU member states.
