The state cuts taxes, but fuel prices remain high. The suspicion: The oil multinationals put at least part of the money in their own pockets. Economics Minister Habeck now wants to tighten antitrust law, according to a report.
The tank discount to relieve the burden on citizens threatens to remain without effect due to the continued high fuel prices. The instrument that the FDP brought through in the traffic light coalition fizzled out – now Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to intervene. As the “Spiegel” reports, Habeck is planning to tighten up antitrust law considerably.
Habeck is responsible for controlling the mineral oil companies, the Federal Cartel Office is subordinate to his ministry. Habeck accuses the oil companies of not passing on the tax deduction on petrol and diesel from the federal government’s relief package to consumers. “The first data sets by the Federal Cartel Office on the tank discount show that the gap between crude oil and gas station prices has risen sharply since the beginning of the month,” the Vice Chancellor told the “Spiegel”.
A paper from Habeck’s ministry describes how antitrust law is to be tightened. Accordingly, the competition authorities would be allowed to intervene structurally in markets – without having to prove a violation of competition law. According to the plans, the state can skim off the profits of mineral oil companies without proof of market abuse – and should even be able to break up the companies if necessary.
Read here: PUSH – “The least he can do” – Huge trouble about tank discounts: Habeck should summon the bosses of the oil companies
The paper says: “There is a parallel behavior in the prices in the market.” This means that the companies know the prices of their competitors at the gas stations because the market is very transparent. “This means that even without an anti-trust agreement, the prices are very quickly aligned; abuse of competition law is difficult to prove.”
However, the break-up can only be used as a “last resort”, write the ministerials. However, it would offer the opportunity “to break up solidified markets and thus ensure more competition to protect consumers.”
