The petroleum sector has opposed a tightening of competition law and warned that it could trigger shortages of gasoline and diesel. Christian Küchen, chief executive of the Fuels and Energy Association, told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” in its Sunday edition after a “gas summit” with government parties on Monday noon. He said the proposed reforms would create significant legal and planning uncertainty for companies, and would require extensive documentation and justification, potentially undermining Germany’s fuel supply security.
Küchen’s association represents many branded petrol stations. He described the risks as high enough to jeopardise supply security across the country. After an official “Task Force” meeting between policymakers and the fuel industry, he reiterated that the stakes were too great to ignore.
Smaller station owners also voiced concern. Daniel Kaddik, chief executive of the Federation of Free Petrol Stations and Independent German Oil Dealers, argued that regulatory limits on price changes would unfairly hurt small operators, who lack the procurement power, capital buffers, or central pricing systems that large integrated oil companies enjoy. He warned that such restrictions would add economic risk for independent operators.
The federal government is still planning to enact stricter competition law within the month. At a meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels, Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) criticized further market intervention, pointing to Austria’s model that would allow stations to raise prices only three times a week. She expressed concern that this could lead to high price increases, putting undue pressure on consumers who urgently need affordable fuel. Reiche also urged Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) to ensure that any additional tax revenues generated from these price hikes would be distributed fairly.
