Slovakia may take EU to court over Russian oil import ban
Fico also accused the European Commission of failing to act on electricity prices, and Slovakia has already challenged the EU's Russian gas ban in court.
Slovakia may challenge in court any EU decision to permanently halt Russian oil imports, Russia's state news agency TASS reported on Saturday.
Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia had already filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union against the European Commission over ending Russian gas supplies to the country, which are due to stop in 2027.
Fico said that if the bloc decides oil imports must be stopped permanently at some point, Slovakia would probably challenge that decision in a relevant court, speaking on the Facebook page of his party, Direction - Social Democracy.
Fico criticized the European Commission for failing to act on reducing electricity prices across the bloc, saying the EU faces serious problems from an oil shortage and rising motor fuel prices.
Slovak state gas company SPP holds a contract with Gazprom that expires in 2034, and Slovakia last month challenged the Commission's decision to ban Russian gas imports at the EU court, seeking to keep supplies flowing under that deal.
Russian oil imports to Slovakia are to be fully stopped by the end of 2027, and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said the country is gradually reducing its dependence on Russian raw materials.
The EU has pushed to reduce its reliance on Russian energy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and member states have disagreed over how quickly to cut those supplies.