Slovakia has dismissed a request from Brussels to eliminate its differentiated fuel pricing policy for domestic and foreign-registered vehicles. Prime Minister Robert Fico has urged the European Commission to pressure Ukraine to resume the transit of Russian oil to Slovakia.
Starting March 18, the Slovak government implemented restrictions on diesel and gasoline for a duration of 30 days due to a sharp rise in oil prices, attributed to the ongoing conflict in Iran. To prevent cross-border fuel purchases at lower prices by drivers from neighboring EU countries, Slovakia also raised prices for foreign-registered vehicles, citing that current supplies are reliant on state reserves.
A spokesperson for the European Commission described these measures as “extremely discriminatory,” while Fico indicated that the Commission has threatened legal action against his government for breaching EU regulations. Nonetheless, Fico has labeled the demand to abolish the different pricing as “absolutely unfair to Slovakia” and has not ruled out the possibility of extending these measures.
In lieu of complying with EU demands, Fico has called on the European Commission to exert influence on Ukraine to restore the transit of Russian oil, which he believes would render the current restrictions unnecessary. Slovakia remains heavily reliant on Russian oil supplies and has received an exemption from EU sanctions against Russia to facilitate its oil imports and address supply shortages.
Key Points:
- On March 29, Fico threatened to block the 20th sanctions package from the European Commission if it did not urge Ukraine to restore Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline.
- On February 23, Fico announced the cessation of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, as the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline had not resumed.
Slovakia has rejected EU demands to change its fuel pricing policy, citing national interests. Prime Minister Fico is pushing for the resumption of Russian oil transit through Ukraine to alleviate supply issues.
Source: Європейська правда