The oil‑fuel industry has opposed a tightening of antitrust law and warned of shortages in gasoline and diesel supply. “Companies will face significant legal and planning uncertainties, as well as a high level of documentation and justification required” said Christian Küchen, chief executive of the Fuels and Energy Business Association, to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Tuesday edition) after a “gas summit” with government factions mid‑Monday.
“Küchen added that, in our assessment, the risks are so high that they could negatively affect supply security in Germany”. The meeting – officially dubbed a “Task Force” – brought together political leaders and the fuel industry. His association, which includes branded petrol stations, argues that stricter regulation would increase uncertainty and operational costs.
Representatives of smaller, independent stations have also voiced concerns. “If price changes are regulatorily restricted, the mid‑market is often hit harder than large integrated oil conglomerates, which have different procurement structures, larger capital buffers and sometimes central price‑control systems” said Daniel Kaddik, chief executive of the German Federation of Free Gas Stations and Independent Oil Traders. “For independent operators, such regulation could therefore add new economic risks”.
The federal government plans to pass a law tightening antitrust rules later this month. Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) has, for her part, opposed further market interference modeled on Austria, where stations are limited to raising prices only three times a week. “If we do it three times a week, I fear that the price hikes will be so high they ultimately burden station customers more” she said at a European Union energy ministers’ meeting in Brussels. “That cannot serve the interests of customers who urgently need affordable fuel”.
Reiche urged Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) to ensure that the additional tax revenues generated by the price surcharges are distributed fairly.