As reported, the gas tax that Germany introduced in 2022 not only makes it more difficult to phase out Russian gas, but also makes this energy source as a whole more expensive for Austria. Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler is now increasing pressure on the German government to put an end to this lack of solidarity.
The compensation is “incompatible with EU law”. It makes gas imports to Austria more expensive and makes it more difficult to diversify the countries of origin, Gewessler said in Vienna on Tuesday.
With the increase in this fee, imports of non-Russian gas via Germany fell noticeably. “This is something that makes our lives more difficult,” the Green politician criticized. In early March, after the latest EU Energy Council, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson also pointed out that such measures by individual states could jeopardize the wider distribution of European gas imports. According to its own information, the Commission is in contact with the German authorities on this matter.
Berlin: ‘The levy also affects German companies’
The gas storage tax is a surcharge on the gas price that was introduced as part of the energy crisis. Germany wants to use the levy to cover the costs of gas storage. German State Secretary for Energy Sven Giegold (Greens) recently defended the levy and emphasized that it is also levied on German companies and consumers and is therefore not discriminatory. “We would welcome a European solution,” he told reporters, without clarifying exactly what measure he had in mind.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
