The European Commission, within the framework of a working group in Bratislava, took into account Slovakia’s demands regarding the abandonment of Russian energy sources. This information was confirmed by the Ministry of Economy of Slovakia.
The meeting held on July 3, 2025, was a continuation of negotiations that took place in Brussels and Luxembourg. They were dedicated to the measures of the REPowerEU Roadmap, which envisions a complete phase-out of Russian energy sources by the end of 2027.
The European Commission’s proposal reflected Slovakia’s positions expressed during joint working meetings. This allowed for postponing the ban on supplies under long-term contracts until the end of 2027, as well as introducing an exception for spot trading of Russian pipeline gas for member states without access to the sea. This decision will enable the implementation of measures even after the general ban on spot trading.
Additionally, a provision was added to suspend the ban on Russian gas supplies in case of adverse changes in a particular EU country related to energy security and rising energy prices.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Saková noted that this meeting was an important step in finding balanced solutions to ensure affordable energy prices, especially for Slovak industry.
At the EU ambassadors’ meeting on June 27, Slovakia requested to postpone the adoption of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. This was due to the need to find a satisfactory solution regarding the negative impacts on Slovakia from the proposed RePowerEU legislation.
Earlier, Hungary announced its intention to block the adoption of the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia together with Slovakia. However, the Slovak representation to the EU denied this information, stating that this issue was not included in the agenda of the EU Council meeting.