EU drafts “Plan B” to sidestep Hungary's veto on Russia sanctions - media

Radio Svoboda's editor for Europe, Rikard Jozwiak, reported the information.

To bypass a potential Hungarian veto on extending sanctions against Russia and to prevent other countries from seeking to lift certain elements of the sanctions, legal experts in Brussels have begun preparing a “Plan B” to preserve them.

The idea emerged during negotiations ahead of the March extension of sanctions, although there are still doubts about its legal soundness.

European sanctions consist of two documents: a decision and a regulation. The texts are nearly identical and work together (countries agree and adopt the decision, which is implemented through the regulation).

The regulation must be renewed unanimously every six months, but the decision remains in effect until a qualified majority votes to repeal it.

Proponents of the idea say this can be used to sidestep Hungary's veto on extending the regulation and keep the sanctions in place.

According to Jozwiak’s sources, the move is seen as a "very much a fallback option, and a temporary one" since Hungary and its allies could take the matter to court, and the legal basis is not airtight.

Other “Plan B” options are also being considered. One involves the European Commission proposing a 17th sanctions package against Russia, which could then be traded off - Hungary would agree not to block the extension of existing sanctions in exchange for the new package being dropped, allowing Budapest to claim a symbolic victory for blocking it.

Another option under discussion is to impose high tariffs on Russia across all relevant sectors if sanctions cannot be extended, as this would not require unanimous approval. However, this would not fully replace sanctions, especially export restrictions.

One more option being considered is applying identical restrictions at the national level, as some countries have already done for individuals removed from the sanctions list due to Hungary. However, this approach is also imperfect, as not all member states have detailed national sanctions legislation, relying instead on the EU framework.

In addition to the sanctions issue, Brussels is also considering ways to pressure Hungary into unblocking the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine - a step they hope to take by June at the latest. There is speculation that offering Hungary access to frozen EU funds, withheld over rule-of-law concerns, could be used as leverage in both matters.