Robert Fico -THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC FILES A LAWSUIT BEFORE THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU OVER THE BAN ON IMPORTS OF RUSSIAN GAS“The Regulation of the European Council and the European Parliament of 26 January 2026 essentially stipulates that we will end imports of Russian gas and oil,” said Prime Minister Robert Fico at the Ministry of Justice. The complete ban on imports of Russian energy is to take effect from 1 November 2027. According to the Prime Minister, this regulation is extremely harmful to the entire European Union. The Slovak Republic currently imports Russian gas via the southern route, the so-called TurkStream, and can, in practice, continue these imports until the autumn of 2027. The Druzhba oil pipeline is currently out of operation.“We are concerned about how this regulation was adopted. We are convinced and I believe this is not only our opinion, but one shared by other prime ministers as well that in this case it constitutes a sanctions regime, a sanction measure. Therefore, this decision should have been adopted unanimously,” emphasized Robert Fico.According to the Prime Minister, the European Commission was aware that some countries opposed this regulation; therefore, the requirement for unanimity was bypassed and the regulation was adopted by a qualified majority. “In the view of the Slovak government, this represents a clear violation of all the principles upon which the EU treaties are based. The treaties stipulate that decisions concerning sanctions systems and foreign policy matters must be taken unanimously,” added the Prime Minister.The Slovak Republic has the right to bring this dispute, as any party may file an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg if it believes that a regulation has been adopted in breach of the Union’s treaties. Hungary has previously filed a similar action, although it is unclear how the new government will proceed in this matter.This dispute constitutes an important precedent for the future. The deadline for filing the action is 27 April 2026. Prime Minister Robert Fico has recommended that the Ministry of Justice not only file the action but also submit a request for interim measures, which the Court may grant. These are temporary decisions issued by the Court prior to a final judgment. “The average time for a decision ranges from one and a half to three years; therefore, it is necessary to submit a request for interim measures,” stated Robert Fico.“The Government of the Slovak Republic pursues a sovereign and legitimate foreign policy. We value our place within the EU, and I believe this is the natural living space of the Slovak Republic. However, the government must also help shape the future of the EU. The Union is in crisis; we do not wish to deepen this crisis, but rather to come forward with proposals that can address it,” said the Prime Minister.This lawsuit addresses the fundamental functioning of the EU—whether it operates on the basis of unanimity or qualified majority voting. “The Court of Justice of the European Union could issue an opinion in this case that will be groundbreaking and decisive for the future functioning of the EU,” concluded Prime Minister Robert Fico.