Hungary will take the European Union to court over plans to phase out imports of Russian oil and gas, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said, setting up a fresh confrontation between Budapest and Brussels.
Speaking on state radio on Friday, Orbán said his government would bring an action before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against a proposed EU regulation that would end all Russian energy imports by the end of 2027. He argued that the measure, drafted under the bloc’s trade and internal market rules, is intended to bypass Hungary’s veto over sanctions on Russia.
“We are turning to the European Court of Justice in this matter,” Orbán said, claiming that the proposal breaches EU law and long-standing norms of cooperation among member states. He warned that those responsible in Brussels would “pay a very high price” for proceeding with the plan.
EU energy ministers agreed in October a common position on legislation that would introduce a stepwise prohibition on Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas, with a complete ban taking effect from early 2028. The measure forms part of a broader strategy to wind down the bloc’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and redirect supplies towards alternative sources. The draft law must still be negotiated with the European Parliament before it can enter into force.
According to Orbán, using trade and energy market law to cut Russian supplies amounts in practice to sanctions, which under current rules require unanimous approval by EU governments. Hungary has repeatedly threatened to block Russia-related sanctions packages, and has demanded or secured exemptions in earlier rounds targeting Russian oil and coal.
Hungary is among the EU states most reliant on Russian energy. Around four-fifths of its oil and gas needs have in recent years been met by Russian imports, largely via the Druzhba oil pipeline and the TurkStream gas corridor. While most EU countries have sharply reduced their purchases of Russian fuel since 2022, Hungary has signed long-term supply contracts and maintained a high share of Russian crude in its consumption mix.
Orbán argues that a rapid break with Russian supplies would cause Hungary severe economic damage. He has described continued access to Russian energy as “vital” for the landlocked country, warning that an abrupt cut-off would lead to plant closures and job losses.
The latest clash with Brussels comes days after Orbán secured what he described as an open-ended exemption from new United States sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Following a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump last week, Washington confirmed that Hungary would receive a waiver allowing it to continue importing Russian energy for at least one year. US officials have said the waiver is time-limited, while Budapest maintains that it will remain in force as long as Orbán and Trump are in office.
Orbán on Friday linked the US decision and the planned EU phase-out, arguing that allied pressure on Hungary’s energy ties with Russia has become “coordinated”. He said his government was “also exploring other means of a non-legal nature” to avoid falling under the EU’s proposed Russian energy embargo, but did not specify what measures were under consideration.
Legal experts expect Hungary to argue before the ECJ that the European Commission and member states have misused the EU’s common commercial policy and internal market competences to achieve what is, in substance, a sanctions regime that should be subject to unanimity. Supporters of the regulation counter that measures governing the terms of trade with third countries fall within areas where decisions are normally taken by qualified majority vote, especially when framed as energy market and security-of-supply legislation.
Once filed, Hungary’s case could delay implementation of the phase-out, particularly if Budapest asks the court to grant interim measures suspending key provisions of the regulation until a final judgment is delivered. EU officials say the strategy to reduce and ultimately end purchases of Russian fossil fuels will continue, pointing to the sharp fall in the bloc’s overall imports from Russia since 2022 and to ongoing investment in alternative supplies and renewables.
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