The so-called Gas Independence Commission was launched on Tuesday and on Wednesday OMV granted it access to the controversial supply contract with Russia’s Gazprom. OMV said the request for disclosure had been “fully complied with”.
OMV “has consistently diversified its gas portfolio since 2022 and can meet its supply obligations in any scenario,” the group continued. “All contract customers can be fully supplied with non-Russian gas.” At the same time, it stressed that OMV’s “business decisions” “remain unaffected” by the Commission.
Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) has set up the commission to investigate, among other things, a way out of the contract with Gazprom. It is chaired by former Supreme Court President Irmgard Griss and university professor Andreas Kletečka.
The contract between OMV and Gazprom was extended in 2018 for twelve years from 2028 to 2040 in the presence of then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Until now, only the partly state-owned company OMV knew the exact content of the contract, but not the government or the regulatory body E-Control.
Enlightenment or election campaign maneuvers?
Like the Gazprom contract, the creation of the commission is not without controversy. Coalition partner ÖVP and parts of the opposition see the Green Minister’s move as an election campaign tactic. The first results should be available in the autumn and a final report should be ready by the end of the year.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
