AZZZ rejects the European Commission’s proposal for a complete ban on the import of Russian energy
Bratislava – The Association of Employers’ Unions and Associations (AZZZ) of the Slovak Republic strongly rejects the proposal of the European Commission (EC) for a complete ban on the import of Russian energy raw materials, natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuel, which is planned to take effect from 2028. The proposal is considered short-sighted, politically motivated, and dangerous for the energy security and economy of EU member states, particularly those landlocked, such as Slovakia. This was stated on Wednesday by AZZZ SR spokesperson Miriam Filová, as reported by TASR.
Filová pointed out that the EC is coming up with a legislative proposal without detailed studies on the impact on energy prices, the competitiveness of industry, or the feasibility of alternative fuel supplies. According to her, such a fundamental step must be preceded by a comprehensive and professionally supported analysis.
According to the spokesperson, Slovakia is also among the countries that have only partially replaced the import of energy raw materials from Russia – primarily due to logistical and infrastructural constraints. The use of Russian energy carriers has been and remains an essential alternative for stable energy supply.
She emphasized that the transition to non-Russian supplies will significantly increase production costs, thereby further reducing the competitiveness of Slovak businesses and companies. According to her, AZZZ expects that cutting off from one important source will lead to a rise in commodity prices, an increase in transit fees to secure the commodity, and at the same time, given the inadequately developed transport infrastructure in the west-east direction, there may be an extraordinary situation where we will not be able to get physical volumes of gas or oil to Slovakia.
In light of the aforementioned reasons, the Association therefore proposes the creation of a team of analysts to map the impact of the proposed legislation on individual EU member states.
AZZZ also proposes the initiation of immediate expert discussions with all EU member states to create a compensation mechanism for companies and households in countries that will be most affected by the ban on the import of Russian fuels. Voting should be postponed to a time when the impacts of such a step are clear and when all open questions have been resolved. Filová added that AZZZ also advocates that such important steps be addressed in the form of unanimous decisions by all member states and not unilaterally at the level of the EC, without the consent of national governments. (June 25)
