Slovakia To Scrap Higher Fuel Prices For Foreigners, Lift Rationing

BRATISLAVA, May 7 (Bernama-dpa) -- Foreigners in Slovakia will no longer be charged more for fuel than locals from Friday, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova announced on Wednesday, ending a controversial price regulation that had drawn criticism from the European Commission, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The current fuel rationing measures will also be lifted, Sakova said. 

The Slovak government introduced the differing prices and fuel rationing in mid-March, citing an "oil emergency" even before the start of the war in Iran in late February. 

This was linked, it said, to the interrupted supply of oil from Russia through Ukraine via the Druzhba pipeline since the end of January, which meant supplies could only be maintained thanks to emergency state reserves. 

Slovakia remains largely dependent on Russian oil supplies and has therefore been granted an exemption from EU sanctions against Russia. The supply through the pipeline has since been restored, alleviating the fuel shortage in Slovakia. 

The European Commission had responded with outrage to the differing fuel prices for foreigners and threatened to open infringement proceedings against Slovakia for violating EU law.

The prices for foreigners were calculated as the average of the costs in neighbouring Austria, Czech Republic and Poland. As price interventions took place in those countries, the difference with domestic prices gradually narrowed and Slovakian prices are currently nearly level with those in the Czech Republic, Sakova said. 

"The average price of diesel in Slovakia is €1.86 per litre, and gasoline is €1.79," she said, noting that this means diesel is three cents cheaper in the Czech Republic, while gasoline costs three cents less in Slovakia.

-- BERNAMA-dpa