Representatives of the European Commission together with representatives of the Slovak industry and relevant entities in the energy sector in Slovakia held discussions in Bratislava
An important meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Economy (MoE) of the Slovak Republic, led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic Denisa Sakova, representatives of the EC Directorate-General for Energy, led by Director General Ditte J. Jørgensen, with representatives of business and industry associations and organisations took place in Bratislava on Thursday, 3rd of July 2025. Discussions were held on the topic of energy prices and the future development of the EU energy market, especially after the presentation of the EU REPower Roadmap measures. Discussions were also held with relevant Slovak gas and oil market participants and representatives of nuclear power producers in the presence of the relevant national regulators.
"The Bratislava meeting was an important step towards finding solutions that take into account the specific factors of each Member State when diversifying sources and thus ensure affordable energy prices also for the Slovak industry, which is facing rising costs. We are ready to continue to take a constructive approach to the proposed measures and to continue the expert discussion with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders," said D. Saková.
Representatives of employers - the Republic Union of Employers (RÚZ), the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK), Club 500, the Association of Employers' Unions and Associations of the Slovak Republic and the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport - met at one table. The main topic was energy prices and the future development of the EU energy market. Representatives of Slovak industry expressed concern about the current situation in the field of EU energy policy and pointed to a common problem - high energy prices and the current pricing settings significantly reduce the competitiveness of Slovak industrial enterprises, which are among the technological leaders in their fields. They called on the EC representatives to pay special attention to the requirements of the Member State most affected by the EC measures, as well as to short-term measures to reduce electricity and gas prices, which are currently an acute issue for energy-intensive enterprises.
The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic and industry representatives are fully aware of the importance of the European Union's climate goals and support their implementation. However, as it was stressed during the negotiations, for a successful transition to a more sustainable economy it is necessary to find a balance between ecological ambitions and economic reality of countries with a strong industrial background, such as Slovakia. Decarbonisation remains an important objective, but its implementation should be set in such a way that companies can continue their business activities without risking their stability and competitiveness.
The joint discussion also showed a readiness to have an open dialogue on the specificities of the industrial environment in Slovakia. Director General for Energy Ditte J. Jørgensen expressed her understanding of the challenges that Slovak industry faces and said that the EC was open to finding balanced solutions. She also expressed her willingness to meet again with representatives of the business sector and, if interested, to visit specific businesses in Slovakia that are struggling with particular energy and competitiveness issues.
This was followed by meetings with the participation of key players in the gas market, such as eustream, SPP, ZSE/VSE, SSE and with the participation of the Office for Regulation of Grid Industries (ÚRSO). In addition to the impact of the proposed regulation on the phasing out of gas imports from Russia, the main topics covered were the issue of transmission capacity to ensure the transport of gas to Slovakia, the use of the domestic transmission network, as well as the issues of tariffication, pricing and energy security. The EC promised to set up a monitoring group for landlocked countries with less diversification potential.
A special meeting was devoted to the security of oil supply and oil refining, where representatives of Slovnaft and Transpetrol presented their views. The topic of nuclear energy amid planned restrictions on the supply of enriched uranium or nuclear fuel from the Russian Federation was addressed by representatives of Slovak Power Plants and the Chairwoman of the Office for Nuclear Supervision. They pointed to the lack of alternatives with the necessary capacities as well as the priority of nuclear safety over political objectives.
The meeting of the EC working group in Slovakia follows a series of meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg, which mainly focused on the planned EC regulations from the presented EU REPower Roadmap. The EC proposal took into account several views of Slovakia presented during the joint working group meetings. Thanks to this, it was possible to postpone the ban on supplies from long-term contracts to the end of 2027, the addition of an exemption from the ban on spot trades for Russian pipeline gas for landlocked member states - to allow implementation even after the total ban on spot trades, or the addition of a suspension clause. This will allow the ban on Russian gas supplies to be suspended in the event of negative developments in a given Member State in terms of energy security and rising energy prices.
Press Department of the Ministry of Economy