Susko: EU Court Ruling on Gas Imports Case May Set Key Precedent

Bratislava, 30 April (TASR) – An upcoming ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Slovakia's lawsuit against a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on phasing out imports of Russian natural gas and preparing to end imports of Russian oil will have implications for future decision-making by both institutions, Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) declared on Thursday. Susko was responding during Question Time in Parliament to MP Ivan Hazucha (Smer-SD), who asked about the current state of the government's approach to the case. The minister said that he didn't want to prejudge the court's decision but stressed the seriousness of the matter, noting that the court hasn't yet ruled on it. "How the court decides in this case will be very important and precedent-setting for the future. Such a ruling will have an impact on any future decisions by the European Parliament and the Council in terms of the legal basis on which they act," said Susko. According to him, whatever the outcome, the judgment will be a significant precedent for the future functioning of the European Union, especially regarding the ability to exercise veto rights stemming from the founding treaties. "We are very eagerly awaiting the court's decision in this area and believe that we have a chance, but the decision rests with the court, of course," added Susko. mf/df