The European Commission has confirmed its readiness to defend the REPowerEU regulation in the Court of Justice of the European Union. This comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Hungary following the enactment of new European legislation aimed at gradually phasing out imports of energy resources from Russia.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Position of the European Commission and Development of the Legal Proceedings
European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen emphasized that the EU’s plans to reduce reliance on Russian gas were announced as early as 2022. She highlighted that the REPowerEU regulation has already come into effect following its publication in the Official Journal of the EU and is applicable regardless of ongoing legal proceedings.
“This is not the first instance in the history of the European Commission where this occurs, and we will defend our position while ensuring that none of our member states face supply security issues,” Itkonen stated in response to a question from Radio Free Europe.
Hungary announced its lawsuit to the EU Court on February 2, the day the regulation was published. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto believes that the new rules violate the principles of energy sovereignty and solidarity and pose a risk to the country’s energy security. Slovakia has also expressed a similar intention to seek legal action.
Changes in EU Energy Policy and New Sanctions
Despite the opposition from Budapest and Bratislava, decisions regarding EU energy policy were made without the need for unanimity, thus they were adopted without the agreement of Hungary and Slovakia. According to the new rules, a complete ban on the import of liquefied gas from Russia will take effect from January 2027, and for pipeline gas, from the autumn of the same year. Before obtaining permission to import gas into the EU, national authorities must verify the country of origin of the energy resource to prevent circumvention schemes.
The regulation imposes strict penalties for violations. Individuals face fines of at least 2.5 million euros, while companies may incur fines of 40 million euros or at least 3.5% of their global annual turnover, or three times the value of the relevant transaction.
EU member states are required to develop and submit national diversification plans by March 1, 2026, identifying the main challenges associated with replacing the remaining volumes of Russian gas in their energy systems.
The European Commission expects further procedural steps from the court and will act in accordance with its decisions. Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to collaborate with countries, taking into account their geographical and infrastructural characteristics, especially for landlocked states.