Council of the European Union
EU institution of member-state governments; co-legislator enforcing the 25 April Russian LNG short-term contract ban.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026
Hungary can veto EU sanctions alone; how does Brussels get anything passed on Russian gas?
Timeline for Council of the European Union
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European Energy Markets- What is the Council of the European Union?
- The Council of the EU is the institution where the governments of all 27 EU member states meet to negotiate and adopt legislation and coordinate policies. It co-legislates with the European Parliament and is distinct from the European Council (heads of state) and the European Commission (the executive).
- When does the EU Russian LNG ban start?
- The EU Council's ban on Russian LNG short-term contracts enters force on 25 April 2026. It removes roughly 17 bcm per year from the EU market with no publicly named replacement supply.Source: EU Council
- Can one EU country block Russia sanctions?
- Yes, on Foreign Policy and sanctions matters requiring unanimity. Hungary has exercised this veto repeatedly to delay Russia-related packages inside the Council. Energy legislation can sometimes use qualified majority, reducing (but not eliminating) individual veto risk.
- What is the difference between the EU Council and the European Council?
- The European Council is the summit of EU heads of state or government; it sets political direction. The Council of the EU is the working body where government ministers meet by policy area to negotiate and adopt legislation. They are separate institutions with different compositions.
Background
The Council of the European Union is the institution where EU member state governments meet to negotiate and adopt legislation, coordinate policies, and take Foreign Policy decisions. It co-legislates with the European Parliament on most EU law. On 25 April 2026, the Council's Russian LNG short-term contract ban enters force, removing roughly 17 bcm per year of Russian Liquefied Natural Gas from the EU market with no publicly named replacement supply. The ban was adopted under the EU's phased gas embargo package designed to end Russian energy dependence.
The Council operates through rotating six-month presidencies among the 27 member states. It takes most decisions by qualified majority (55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population), but Foreign Policy and sanctions require unanimity, giving individual governments such as Hungary and Slovakia effective veto power over Russia-related measures. The General Affairs Council handles EU enlargement; the Energy Council handles gas and electricity legislation. The Council is distinct from the European Council (heads of state summits) and from the European Commission (the executive body).
In the current energy crisis, the Council is the legislative chokepoint through which sanctions on Russian gas pass before they bind. Hungary's use of its veto to delay or dilute sanctions has made the Council the arena where energy security and geopolitical alignment intersect most visibly. The 25 April Russian LNG ban is one of the measures that did achieve Council approval; the shadow fleet package and elements of the SAFE rearmament programme remain blocked.
