Following the Federal Council’s adoption of the fuel discount this Friday, several regional states are pressing for the implementation of further measures to combat high energy prices. Citing a document produced by Lower Saxony and Saarland, the “Rheinische Post” reports that these two states intend to issue a protocol declaration regarding these efforts.
The states demanded that, in future periods of dramatic price fluctuations for fossil fuels, there must be additional financing sources and payout options available for relief measures. According to the paper, the announced income-based direct payment mechanism must therefore be quickly implemented and ready for use by early 2027 at the latest.
Moreover, the federal government is urged to introduce a temporary, crisis-related fuel price cap, modeled after Luxembourg or Belgium, as soon as possible-but no later than January 1, 2027. The states also support a time-limited European levy on exceptional crisis profits made by mineral oil companies. Additionally, they called for the electricity tax to be lowered for both businesses and private households to meet the European minimum standard. Finally, the document states that the government must implement a “socially balanced, preferably income-based climate allowance.”
