(de-news.net) – CSU parliamentary leader Alexander Hoffmann has rejected a petrol discount, advocating stricter cartel enforcement to ensure fuel price reductions benefit consumers, while Green MEP Michael Bloss supported exploring state price caps and emphasized the need for domestic energy production. In turn, gas-fired power plant plans remain delayed due to regulatory coordination and pending EEG amendments, with operational readiness by 2031 deemed essential for energy security.
Alexander Hoffmann, the leader of the CSU parliamentary group, has firmly rejected the proposal for a petrol discount, asserting that stricter enforcement of cartel regulations would provide motorists with more effective relief by ensuring that any reductions in fuel prices are actually transmitted to consumers rather than being absorbed by upstream corporations. In his remarks, Hoffmann referenced the fuel rebate that had been introduced by the previous administration in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting that only a limited fraction of the intended financial relief ultimately reached drivers. He stressed that a significant portion of these benefits had instead remained with major oil companies, effectively diluting the impact of the policy on households facing elevated energy costs. Hoffmann further underscored the necessity of avoiding a recurrence of this outcome, emphasizing proposed regulatory measures designed to shift the burden of proof onto suppliers seeking to justify price increases and to empower authorities to prevent dominant market actors from implementing unjustified hikes, thereby reinforcing consumer protection and market fairness.
German MEP proposes state-controlled fuel prices
Green MEP Michael Bloss, speaking in the context of rising energy prices, indicated his openness to considering a state-imposed cap on gasoline prices. He observed that such measures had already been implemented in neighboring countries, including Belgium and Luxembourg, and proposed that Germany examine comparable mechanisms as a potential tool for moderating consumer expenses. Bloss additionally highlighted Germany’s pronounced dependence on imported energy resources, arguing that domestically produced electricity represents the only viable long-term alternative capable of reducing exposure to volatile international markets. Within parliamentary discussions, representatives from governing parties suggested that targeted interventions, such as a windfall tax on extraordinary profits, could be considered if fuel costs continue to escalate, whereas Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck Reiche, cautioned against reactive, piecemeal interventions at gas stations, noting the risk that short-term measures could undermine broader market stability or incentivize distortionary behavior by energy providers.
Plans for new gas-fired power plants remain in a state of suspension. Officials indicated that, two months after reaching a preliminary agreement with the European Commission, the Ministry of Economic Affairs had yet to submit a comprehensive written strategy. According to insider sources, obtaining formal state-aid approval from the Commission, along with interministerial coordination—particularly between the offices of Schneider and Reiche—may be prerequisites for initiating competitive tenders, which are currently anticipated to begin in the summer. In parallel, drafts of critical legislative components, including the proposed amendments to the EEG and the associated grid package, remain incomplete, reflecting the complexity and interconnected nature of Germany’s energy transition agenda. Authorities stressed that the timely commissioning of new gas-fired facilities is essential to mitigate potential supply shortfalls arising from the scheduled phaseout of coal and the heightened reliance on intermittent wind and solar generation during periods of low output. Consequently, ensuring operational readiness of these gas plants by 2031 is considered a pivotal element of maintaining grid reliability and supporting Germany’s broader energy security and decarbonization objectives.
Audio: TTSFree
