The government in Budapest has filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union, seeking the annulment of an EU regulation intended to lead to a complete phase-out of Russian gas imports into the EU no later than the end of 2027. The move is presented as a direct response to rules adopted in late January, promoted as part of the EU’s REPowerEU strategy.

What the EU ban actually introduces

Under the adopted legislation, the EU is to wind down imports of Russian gas in stages. In practice, this includes, among other measures, ending imports of Russian LNG by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas imports by 30 September 2027 (with the possibility of pushing the deadline back to 1 November 2027 under certain storage-related circumstances). The regulation also introduces restrictions on new contracts and provides for the gradual termination of existing agreements.

What Hungary is disputing with Brussels

According to the Hungarian side—including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó—the ban is effectively a political sanction “disguised” as a trade policy instrument. This distinction is central: EU sanctions as a rule require unanimity among member states, whereas this regulation was adopted by majority vote despite Budapest’s opposition (and also opposition from Slovakia). Hungary also argues that the new law breaches treaty principles, including national sovereignty over the energy mix and the concept of “energy solidarity,” and that it threatens its energy security.

The European Commission’s response

From Brussels, the message has been that a legal dispute was anticipated, but the regulation rests on solid foundations. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has publicly argued that the ban is “100% legally sound” and is meant to end the use of energy as an instrument of pressure. At the same time, he emphasized that even a member state bringing a case remains obliged to apply EU law until the court rules.

What happens next: consequences and timeline

Proceedings before the CJEU typically take months (often longer), and filing a complaint does not automatically suspend application of the regulation. That means that—unless interim measures are granted—the timetable for moving away from Russian gas remains in force.

In the background there is also a broader political dynamic: the Hungarian lawsuit intersects with coordination with Slovakia, where the government of Robert Fico has also signaled it may bring its own legal challenge, questioning, among other things, the proportionality and subsidiarity of the EU’s approach.