Blanar: Slovakia Completing Filing of Lawsuit Over Ban on Russian Gas Imports

Jakarta/Bratislava 3 February (TASR) - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday that Slovakia is finalising the filing of a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union over regulations on the gradual phasing out of imports of Russian natural gas.

According to Blanar, Bratislava is coordinating its approach with Hungary, which has already filed a complaint.

"The Economy Ministry is gathering all the necessary documentation so that we'll have a very strong argumentative basis for filing, and at the same time we're seeking good cooperation with a reputable legal team that will represent us," said Blanar.

At the same time, he stressed that despite close cooperation with Hungary, Slovakia wants to proceed with its own views. "After all, each country has a completely individual position," he added.

According to the minister, Slovakia plans to turn to the court to request a review of whether the European Commission's legislative initiative under the RePowerEU plan is in conflict with the Union's founding treaties. He said that the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity are disputed.

"Based on our analysis, we're convinced that this is a circumvention of the rule requiring unanimity, because it's clearly a sanction," said Blanar.

At the end of January, EU-member states definitively approved a ban on imports of Russian natural gas no later than autumn 2027. Only Slovakia and Hungary voted against the proposal, but a qualified majority was sufficient for its adoption.

The European Commission is ready to defend the regulation. "We truly stand by this legislation, and there is solid legal work behind it, so we're also very confident that we're in a position to defend legislation that has been largely supported by member states," said European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho on 27 January.