The Federal Cartel Office has stated it will closely monitor the evolution of fuel prices following the expiration of the tanker discount. “We promise that we will look very closely,” said Federal Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt to broadcasters RTL and ntv, adding, “The question is: How quickly and how high will the prices actually go?”
Mundt confirmed that proceedings have been initiated against all twelve refineries in Germany. He explained that the situation is not merely under observation but could also become the subject of these formal investigations.
Referring to the new burden of proof, Mundt stressed that companies must now demonstrate that their costs are justified at the level they have been set. This scope naturally includes “the development we will soon see.” The objective, according to Mundt, is to examine whether companies have exploited price increases unscrupulously. While acknowledging that the authority cannot intervene against external causes for price rises, it can ensure that companies do not capitalize on these factors or add further markups.
At the same time, Mundt managed expectations regarding rapid intervention, clarifying, “We are certainly not talking about days. We are also not talking about weeks.” He noted that the review of the refineries’ cost structures is complex, meaning that prices cannot simply be lowered on a whim.
