September 18, 2026

Slovakia will file lawsuit over EU's Russian gas ban, PM says

He says the suit will be filed with the EU's Court of Justice

Slovakia will file lawsuit over EU's Russian gas ban, PM says
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico attends attends a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not pictured), in Bratislava, Slovakia, Sunday, Feb 15, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

bdnews24.com

Reuters

Published : 18 Apr 2026, 02:02 AM

Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:36 PM

Slovakia will file a lawsuit in the coming days challenging the European Union's decision to ban Russian gas imports, adopted by a qualified majority, and will seek a preliminary injunction, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

The suit will be filed with the EU's Court of Justice, Fico said, criticising the way the regulation was adopted.

The ban on Russian gas imports, to be implemented by late 2027, was cleared by a reinforced majority of countries, allowing the EU to overcome opposition from Slovakia and Hungary when it approved the measure earlier this year.

"According to the Slovak government, this is a clear violation of all the principles on which the EU treaties are based," Fico said, adding that decisions on sanctions and foreign policy issues should be taken unanimously.

Hungary has already filed a lawsuit against the ban, and Slovakia had previously said it would do the same. Fico said the government would submit its lawsuit by an Apr 27 deadline.

Both countries have maintained Russian gas supplies despite EU efforts to end the bloc's reliance on Russian energy and cut funding for Moscow's war with Ukraine.

Related Stories