Bratislava – Slovakia has expressed its opposition to the European Commission’s (EC) initiative aimed at halting the import of gas, oil, and nuclear fuel from Russia. The Ministry of Economy (MH) of the Slovak Republic stated that this plan does not align with the interests of Slovakia or other EU member states, as announced by the ministry’s press office on Tuesday, according to TASR.
Minister of Economy Denisa Saková (Hlas-SD) remarked, “We oppose the European Commission’s efforts to implement measures that could adversely affect our national interests and the purchasing power of Slovak households, as well as those across Europe. Therefore, the Ministry of Economy fundamentally disagrees with the European Commission’s proposal and we will express this stance at the European Commission level.”
The Ministry of Economy warned that the proposed objectives—aiming to phase out all imports of energy supplies from Russia to the EU by 2027 and to introduce several restrictions starting next year—will negatively impact energy prices across Europe. They cautioned that this could further diminish the competitiveness of European industries and adversely affect energy costs for households.
The ministry criticized the EC’s proposal for lacking a thorough impact assessment and failing to provide an analysis of its effects on prices, competitiveness, or energy security. Furthermore, the EC has been criticized for not offering viable solutions to address escalating energy prices.
The ministry highlighted that EU member states imported 52 billion cubic meters of Russian gas last year, accounting for approximately 19% of the EU’s total gas imports. Additionally, the EU imported 13 million tons of oil and over 2800 tons of enriched uranium or nuclear fuel. Ten member states imported Russian gas in 2024, while three continued to import Russian oil, and seven member states sourced enriched uranium or related services from Russia.
On Tuesday, the European Commission announced its commitment to cease importing Russian gas by the end of 2027 and to achieve complete energy independence from Russia by halting oil imports and gradually phasing out Russian nuclear energy supplies. The Commission assured that it would ensure stable energy supplies and prices throughout the Union. (May 6)
“We oppose the European Commission’s efforts to implement measures that could adversely affect our national interests and the purchasing power of Slovak households, as well as those across Europe. Therefore, the Ministry of Economy fundamentally disagrees with the European Commission’s proposal and we will express this stance at the European Commission level.” Denisa Saková
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