SPD leader Bärbel Bas has indicated possible further measures to relieve consumers after the planned end of the fuel discount at the end of June. The discount is set for two months, but the situation will be monitored until the summer and beyond and “of course other decisions may still have to be made,” said the Labor Minister on the ZDF morning magazine. The Iran conflict, which is behind the high energy prices, continues. When asked about possible relief, Bas said: “If there are major burdens, we will certainly have to talk about it again.”
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Fuel discount expires as planned at the end of June
The coalition therefore reduced the fuel tax by almost 17 cents per liter. The fuel discount, which has been in effect since May 1st, will expire as planned at the end of June. This was decided by the Union and SPD factions. “After long discussions, we decided that we would let the fuel discount expire as planned on June 30th,” said Union parliamentary group vice-president Sepp Müller to Bild. Together with SPD parliamentary group deputy Armand Zorn, he emphasized that if there was a possible sharp price increase, one could react quickly, even during the summer holidays. Müller said the fuel discount worked well. However, the extension does not make financial sense. “In the current situation, we cannot afford to take on debt for this.”
Off is not unexpected
The impending end of the fuel discount comes as no surprise to German gas stations. “We didn’t expect anything else,” said Herbert Rabl, spokesman for the petrol station interest group (TIV), to the Rheinische Post. Politics cannot permanently finance part of the profits of the oil companies. This year they had “made more profits than ever before – especially on the German market,” he said.
According to calculations by the Ifo Institute, the oil companies have largely passed on the tax relief to drivers. However, part of the approximately 1.6 billion euros in tax funds used by the federal government remains with the corporations, as the institute announced. A spokesman for the Fuels and Energy trade association told the Rheinische Post: “From the beginning, the gas stations have passed on the full amount of the tax reduction on gasoline and diesel to their customers and will do the same until the end of the term.”
ADAC: Don’t stop considering relief
An ADAC spokeswoman said about the impending expiry of the regulation: “The end of the fuel discount must not mean that considerations for relieving people’s burdens have to be stopped.” The war in the Middle East will, above all, drive up energy prices and drivers will soon see prices above two euros again at gas stations. “The coalition must coordinate measures in the short term that provide targeted relief to those particularly affected.” An expiry of the fuel discount without immediate follow-up measures cannot be negotiated.
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Ramona Pop, board member of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations, said according to the announcement: “The fuel discount has not proven itself, so it is good that it is not being extended. Instead of new quick fixes, long-term, effective suggestions are now needed.” A reduction in electricity tax for private households could provide direct relief.
Before the fuel discount came the 12 o’clock fuel rule
A month before the fuel discount, the federal government introduced the 12 o’clock rule on April 1st to curb the rise in fuel prices due to the Iran war. According to the ADAC, the restriction that has been in effect for gas stations since the beginning of April to just one gasoline price increase per day is causing price fluctuations throughout the day to be higher than ever before. The difference between the highest and lowest price on an average day was 14.6 cents for a liter of Super E10, and for diesel it was even 18.4 cents per liter. The auto club sees the large price differences throughout the day as evidence that the oil companies have responded to the rule with risk premiums. The huge price jumps at lunchtime cannot only be explained by increases in oil prices.
Further measures in progress
It remains to be seen how fuel prices will develop after the fuel discount expires on July 1st. In addition to taxes and duties, the development of oil prices is also important. Müller and Zorn said: “If the situation changes dramatically from July 1st, we can react quickly.” They did not commit to specific measures or a price limit. Müller announced that he would tighten antitrust law. The goal is: “Clean up the market and create more transparency.”
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(mfz)
