Hungary–Croatia dispute over Adriatic Oil Pipeline continues

Last week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Croatia of imposing a “war surcharge” and setting pipeline fees well above European benchmarks. 

Croatian leaders swiftly rejected the allegations, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković calling the claims “outrageous.”

Szijjártó also claimed that JANAF lacks the capacity to meet the energy needs of Hungary and Slovakia—a statement Croatian officials and JANAF have firmly disputed.

On Monday, the European Commission confirmed it is monitoring tests of the pipeline’s capacity but declined to comment directly on the disagreement between the two EU member states, Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said.

Plenković countered that Hungary is using the dispute as a pretext to continue importing cheap Russian oil and gas.

“If the European Union agrees that Russia is the aggressor against Ukraine and we don’t want member states buying energy from Russia to finance the war, then I see no reason—if there is an alternative supply route from the Adriatic coast to the Hungarian border—why Hungary would not use it,” Plenković said. “Of course, price is the issue. Hungary has a deal with Russia to buy oil and gas at cheaper prices than the rest of us are paying.”

The standoff comes as the EU increases pressure on Hungary and Slovakia to phase out Russian energy entirely. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, faces one of the highest inflation rates in Europe and is preparing for parliamentary elections in the first half of next year.