Reacting to the closure of the Soviet Druzhba pipeline, which has interrupted the transit of Russian oil to Eastern Europe since the end of January, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Tuesday 17 February that the “energy security” of EU Member States remained “the absolute priority”.
Stressing that this interruption was due to a recent Russian attack, as part of the war being waged in Ukraine, she indicated that the Commission was in contact with the Ukrainian side to implement a timetable for repairing the pipeline.
She also said that the institution was ready to convene an emergency meeting of the Oil Coordination Group to assess “all possible alternatives to fuel supply”.
The regulation governing European sanctions against Russia allows the ban on the supply of Russian oil to a landlocked Member State to be temporarily suspended if there are reasons beyond its control.
These imports could then, exceptionally, come from another pipeline - the Adriatic pipeline, allowing Russian oil to transit via Croatia, as requested by Hungary and Slovakia (the only two EU countries that continue to import Russian oil).
“Hungary is not asking Croatia for a favour regarding the Adria pipeline, but for compliance with binding EU rules in the event that transit through the pipeline becomes difficult or impossible”, insisted Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, on the X social network.
He also accused Ukraine of blocking deliveries on the Druzhba pipeline “for political reasons”.
However, the Commission spokeswoman stressed that the short-term risk to security of supply was under control, given that Hungary and Slovakia hold the equivalent of 90 days’ emergency stock in reserve. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)