The Federal Cartel Office is investigating initial breaches of the new regulation stipulating that gas station operators may only raise gasoline prices once a day at 12 o’clock. According to a cartel office spokesperson quoted in the “Bild” (Wednesday edition), the focus of the investigations is primarily on failures regarding the timing of these price increases, meaning delays in raising prices. The authority has launched the relevant investigations. The spokesperson added that compliance with this rule is monitored “automatically and completely using the real-time data from the Market Transparency Unit”. Any violations will be “systematically recorded” and passed on to the responsible state authorities. Regarding the specific cases, the issues mainly involve “technical adjustment difficulties” with many violations having occurred “very close” to the permitted time window. The spokesperson further clarified that the Federal Cartel Office has formed a dedicated team to monitor the new pricing law, tasked with reviewing price developments as a “high priority”. He emphasized that merely an increase in price does not constitute a violation of antitrust law; rather, the deciding factor is whether the price changes can be explained by the oil market or if there are underlying issues related to competition.
Cartel Authority Investigates Gas Station Price Hiking Violations
