Finance
Hungary to challenge EU decision to phase out Russian energy imports
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Hungary plans to challenge the EU's decision to phase out Russian energy imports by 2027, citing economic and legal concerns.
BUDAPEST, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Hungary will challenge a European Union decision on phasing out Russian energy sources at the EU's Court of Justice, its Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday.
The European Union's members have agreed to phase out Russian gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc's decades-long dependency on Russian energy. The decision went against Hungary and Slovakia's opposition.
Slovakia is also weighing its legal options against the EU order, as the countries are both still highly reliant on gas and oil supplies from Moscow and fearful that more-costly alternatives will damage their economies.
"Accepting and implementing this Brussels order is impossible for Hungary," Szijjarto said during a briefing broadcast on his Facebook page.
He said the move violated the EU's founding document and that it was a sanctions measure disguised as trade policy.
Szijjarto said that Hungary would formally bring the matter to the EU's top court once the decision was finalised in Brussels.
HUNGARY AND SLOVAKIA COULD JOIN FORCES
Szijjarto said he had talked with his colleague from Slovakia on the matter and agreed on coordination.
On Wednesday, Slovakia's government - which like Hungary's has kept open relations with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - discussed its legal options, but did not say what action it would take.
It had flagged last month that it would look at legal means while saying much would depend on how the European Commission fulfilled guarantees over possible shortages or price spikes given to Slovakia this year to help it in the phase-out.
"We have sufficient legal grounds to consider filing a lawsuit. We agreed that we will soon present to what extent the European Commission has fulfilled the commitments it gave us," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday.
Slovakia won the guarantees when it held up an EU sanctions package against Russia, which requires unanimous backing in the bloc. The energy phase-out plans, though, are legislative and only require majority support from member states, leaving Hungary and Slovakia with no way of blocking the approval.
(Reporting by Anita Komuves in Budapest and Jason Hovet in Prague, editing by Ed Osmond)
Energy imports refer to the purchase and transportation of energy resources, such as oil and gas, from one country to another, which can impact a nation's energy security and economy.
Energy dependency occurs when a country relies heavily on external sources for its energy needs, which can make it vulnerable to supply disruptions and price fluctuations.
The EU Court of Justice is the highest court in the European Union, responsible for interpreting EU law and ensuring its equal application across member states.
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