Hungary wants to lift ban on Russian gas imports
Photo: Péter Szijjártó (flickr.com)
The Hungarian government has filed a lawsuit with the European Court demanding the repeal of the EU RePower regulation, which provides for the gradual phase-out of Russian natural gas, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
According to him, Brussels had no right to adopt such a decision, as banning energy imports is only possible under sanctions, which require a unanimous decision.
Szijjártó added that the European Union does not have the authority to make such decisions because the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU allows each state to decide which energy sources to buy and from what countries independently.
"There is a rule in the EU known as the principle of energy solidarity. It essentially means that energy supplies of EU countries must be guaranteed. Obviously, this decision grossly violates this principle — at least in the case of Hungary," he emphasized.
The Hungarian minister noted that the court proceedings on this matter could last up to two years.
RePowerEU plan
The plan was developed by the European Commission after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its goal is to make Europe fully independent from Russian fossil fuels through supply diversification, energy savings, and a transition to renewable sources.
In December last year, Slovakia officially announced its intention to appeal to the European Union to challenge the EU decision on the complete cessation of Russian gas imports.
Abandoning Russian gas
At the beginning of December 2025, representatives of the European Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement to completely phase out imports of Russian natural gas by 2027. Later, on December 17, the European Parliament approved the EU plan for the gradual cessation of Russian gas purchases by the end of 2027.
Additionally, Brussels stated that it does not plan to return to Russian energy sources even after the war ends.
On Monday, January 26, the Council of the European Union formally approved a full ban on the supply of Russian liquefied natural gas to EU countries starting January 1, 2027, and on pipeline gas starting September 30, 2027.
