Slovakia takes EU to court over Russia energy phase-out

Prefer on Google by Chris Powers, Martin Fornusek Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during Russian-Slovak bilateral meeting in Beijing, China on Sept. 22, 2025. (Contributor/Getty Images) Slovakia confirmed on April 28 that it has filed a legal case to challenge an EU ban on importing Russian gas, due to take full effect next fall, with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The Hungarian government under Viktor Orban had already filed a similar case, though it is unclear if the incoming pro-European government of Peter Magyar wishes to take it forward. Slovakia filed its case on April 24, Slovak Justice Ministry Spokesperson Barbora Skulova told the Kyiv Independent. "We are troubled by how this regulation was adopted. We are convinced… that in the given case it was a sanctions regime, a sanctions measure. And therefore it was necessary to take this decision unanimously," said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a government press release on April 17. Skulova added that "such a procedure may disrupt the balance of competences within the European Union and weaken the position of Member States in decision-making on fundamental issues." The EU adopted its Repower EU regulation in January 2026, which gradually phases out the import of Russian natural gas by November 2027 at the latest. It also paves the way for the phase-out of Russian oil, while nuclear energy is not included in this regulation. Slovakia has a contract with Russia's Gazprom that does not expire until 2034. If the EU phase-out is to be respected, Slovakia risks still having to pay, but without getting any of the gas. The country remains, along with Hungary, one of the two EU countries most dependent on Russia for its energy supply, with the energy think tank Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) noting that Bratislava was still getting 86% of its oil from Moscow in 2025. The Slovak lawsuit is expected to follow the legal reasoning of the Hungarian filing, as described by Hungary's outgoing foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto. The cases claim that energy bans can only be implemented through sanctions, which require unanimity among EU leaders. The Repower EU regulation was adopted as a trade policy decision and therefore only required a qualified majority to pass. The European Commission was asked for comment and to confirm it had been notified of the case being submitted, but failed to respond before publication.