Fuel price brake extended again without margin limit

Austria's government will continue its fuel price brake through August, reducing the mineral oil tax by 1.9 cents per liter. This measure is part of the ongoing effort to mitigate inflation's impact on consumers.

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The fuel price brake remains an important instrument of the federal government in the fight against inflation.

Minister of Economy Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) stated that current analyses from E-Control show the price brake is working. He added that international price decreases have been passed on to drivers even more significantly than required. This extension aims to provide continued relief at the pump.

However, a proposed limit on gas station profit margins will remain suspended. Despite this, the government insists that gas stations must continue to pass on any price reductions from international markets to consumers. This ensures that falling global prices translate into lower costs for Austrian drivers.

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My principle is always the same: every exception needs an expiry date at some point.

SPÖ State Secretary Michaela Schmidt called the fuel price brake a "vital instrument" in the fight against rising costs. She indicated that further measures, including a potential legal limit on profit margins, could be implemented if the situation worsens. NEOS State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn, while acknowledging the need for crisis tools, emphasized that long-term price stability requires increased competition, faster approvals, and expanded domestic energy production, rather than relying solely on short-term measures.

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We will not achieve permanently stable prices through short-term crisis instruments, but through more competition, faster approvals, and the expansion of domestic energy production.