The legal action brought by the Russian energy conglomerate Rosneft against the indefinite state custodianship of its German subsidiary companies has been paused. This update comes from the Federal Government’s response to a written inquiry posed by Michael Kellner, a Member of the Greens in the Bundestag, as reported by Politico.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs stated that all parties involved in the case and their legal representatives recently reached an agreement for a temporary suspension of proceedings. Consequently, the plaintiffs’ representatives are expected to file an official motion to suspend the process shortly.
The underlying context involves the German Rosneft subsidiaries, which hold interests in assets such as the PCK refinery in Schwedt, being placed under state custodianship. This arrangement was indefinitely extended earlier this spring. The government’s motivation for imposing the custodianship stems from EU sanctions against Russia related to the war in Ukraine, making the Federal government aim to prevent the German subsidiaries from falling under sanctions. Rosneft had initiated the lawsuit earlier this spring before the Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg, challenging the custodianship imposed by the Federal Government.
Kellner commented to Politico that the temporary pause was a positive step, but he emphasized that a permanent solution would only be possible if the German Rosneft subsidiaries could be placed in responsible hands instead of remaining trapped in perpetual state custody.
