EU moves ahead with Russian gas ban proposal despite Hungary, Slovakia vetoes
LUXEMBOURG, June 16 (Reuters) - Hungary and Slovakia on Monday opposed a planned European Union ban on Russian gas imports, though Brussels is expected to propose the law on Tuesday, which could pass without their approval.
The European Commission aims to ban EU Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the end of 2027.
On Tuesday, it will propose the measures and set out how it will legally enact the plan, which was announced last month.
Hungary and Slovakia, however, blocked EU energy ministers from issuing a joint statement endorsing the plan, which was backed by the 25 other member states.
"Energy policy is a national competence & this endangers our sovereignty and energy security," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a post on X, in which he said Hungary had vetoed the joint statement.
A spokesperson for Slovakia's EU representation confirmed the country had done the same.
The Commission plans to propose the ban using a legal basis allowing it to pass with the support of a "reinforced majority" of countries and a majority of the European Parliament, according to EU officials.
A reinforced majority requires at least 15 of the EU's 27 members, and must represent at least 65% of the EU's population.
In Monday's closed-door meeting, most energy ministers signalled their support, though some raised concerns that it could expose companies to legal risks or financial penalties for breaking long-term gas contracts, EU diplomats said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Hungarian opposition party has 15-point-lead ahead of Orban's Fidesz, poll says
BUDAPEST, June 18 (Reuters) - Hungary's main opposition party Tisza has a 15-point lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz among decided voters, widening the gap between them ahead of next year's election, a survey by pollster Median showed on Wednesday. The centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, poses the biggest political challenge to nationalist Orban's 15-year rule while his government is also facing economic difficulties. Hungary's economic output was unchanged in the first quarter from a year earlier, while inflation was among the highest in the European Union. The threat of steep U.S. tariffs on EU imports also looms large over Hungary's recovery prospects. Magyar's party, which was only launched last year, has the support of 51% voters who say they have decided whom to back, while 36% of respondents said they would vote for Fidesz according to the poll, published by local news weekly HVG. The survey showed that Tisza was particularly popular among younger people, with 58% support among under-40s, while a majority of those aged over 50 backed Fidesz. A majority of those polled said they expected Tisza to win the next election. "This is noteworthy because, in the past two decades, public opinion polls preceding elections almost invariably predicted a Fidesz victory, thus reliably forecasting the ultimate outcome," Median researchers wrote in the article. Spokespeople for the government and Fidesz were not immediately available for comment. Tisza, named after Hungary's second biggest river and founded by Magyar, a former government insider, in February 2024, has led Orban's party in most opinion polls for months. Orban, keen to lure back disaffected voters, included steep tax cuts for families in a 2026 election year budget approved by parliament on Tuesday. The parliamentary election is set to take place early next year, though no date has yet been set. Ahead of the 2022 parliamentary election most pollsters predicted a close race as they overestimated support for the opposition parties. Among the pollsters, Median produced one of the most accurate predictions of the 2022 race in a poll conducted shortly before the election.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Slovak police seek former defence minister over Ukraine aid, media report
June 18 (Reuters) - Slovak police attempted to detain a former defence minister and other former officials on Wednesday as part of investigations into how military aid was given to Ukraine, media outlets reported. The police confirmed they were carrying out seizure operations in a prosecution initiated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), but gave no more details. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said on Facebook a team investigating ammunition donations to Ukraine under the former government, after Russia's invasion in 2022, was involved. EPPO did not immediately reply to a request for comment. News website Dennik N said police had sought to detain former defence minister Jaroslav Nad, who is out of the country on vacation, and another former ministry official. Nad has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing related to Ukraine aid. Police had detained the former head of a state-owned defence firm, Dennik N said. Slovakia's leftist-nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken sharp policy turns since taking power in 2023, including stopping military aid to Ukraine and seeking better ties with Russia, which supplies oil and gas to the country. Last year, Fico's government accused the previous administration of treason and other offences for various donations to Ukraine. In November, an investigation into discrepancies into data on the donations was set up. A report from the Supreme Audit Office last year had said errors related to budgetary rules were made in purchasing ammunition for Ukraine and it had handed findings to police. Nad has denied allegations against him, and he said on Wednesday on social media that he was on vacation in Canada and due to return at the end of the month. "Today's theatre honestly did not surprise or bother me," Nad said on Facebook. "I will keep repeating to myself how proud I am of how we helped Ukraine. I would do it again. And again." Separately, the government has also called on police to investigate the previous government for donating MiG-29 fighter planes and an air defence system to Ukraine. Fico has been vocally critical of European Union policy to Ukraine, saying weapons supplies prolong the war with Russia. On Tuesday, he criticised plans of NATO, in which Slovakia is a member, to ramp up spending in the coming years and for the first time questioned Slovakia's place in the military alliance by saying neutrality would benefit the country.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Compensation delayed for millions of Brits in Mastercard
Walter Merricks, the former financial ombudsman, launched his claim after the European Commission ruled in 2007 that Mastercard's 'multilateral interchange fees' charged to businesses had since 1992 infringed competition law. He alleged that 46 million shoppers in Britain were ripped off after fees were wrongly levied on transactions made over a 15-year period between 1992 and 2008. Why the payments could be open to all UK shoppers? The fees were paid by retailers accepting Mastercard payments, rather than by consumers themselves. But Mr Merricks claimed shoppers had lost out as retailers passed on these fees in the form of higher prices. It followed the arrival of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which allowed for US-style class actions in UK competition claims. A statement from Mr Merricks said millions of UK consumers who are part of the class action could now come forward and claim their share of the £200 million, with individuals potentially getting between £45 and £70 each. Recommended reading How can people register for a share of the compensation? Mr Merricks said UK consumers would shortly be able to register to receive a payment by completing a simple online form, regardless of whether they ever held a Mastercard card - bit that now seems to be delayed. Commenting on the outcome, Mr Merricks said: 'I started this case because I believed that Mastercard's fees paid by retailers for processing card transactions had been unlawfully high and virtually all UK consumers had lost out for long periods by paying higher prices than they should have done as retailers passed on those costs. 'As the evidence came to be known through the litigation process, this was the position only in a relatively small proportion of transactions and the settlement reflects that.'
