Hungary takes EU to court over Russian energy ban
Hungary on Feb. 2 took legal action before the European Court of Justice over the EU's planned ban on Russian energy imports, requesting an annulment, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
The news comes after the Council of the EU approved plans to ban Russian gas purchases by 2027, with the European Commission also planning to propose legislation on phasing out Russian oil by that year.
The measures are part of the REPowerEU strategy for ending reliance on Moscow's energy imports in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Szijjarto said that energy imports can only be restricted through sanctions approved unanimously by all 27 EU members.
The move to ban Russian energy imports was introduced as a trade policy decision rather than a sanctions measure, allowing it to pass with a qualified majority despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.
The two landlocked Central European countries remain heavily reliant on Russian fossil fuels. Their governments, which have repeatedly obstructed EU support for Ukraine, announced last week their intention to challenge the energy ban in court, claiming it undermines their national interests.
Szijjarto argued that, according to EU Treaties, each member state can decide on its energy sources, and that the "principle of energy solidarity requires the security of energy supply for all member states."
"Without Russian oil and gas, our energy security cannot be guaranteed, nor can low energy costs be maintained for Hungarian families," Hungary's top diplomat said on X.
While the European bloc phased out most Russian oil imports and reduced purchases of Russian gas by 75% between 2021 and 2025, it remains Moscow's leading buyer of both pipeline gas and liquified natural gas (LNG).
Reuters reported on Feb. 2 that Russian gas exports via TurkStream, the only pipeline still delivering gas from Russia to Europe, increased by 10.3% year on year in January.
