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News from Brussels
The Commission has signalled it is ready to act against Bratislava over a system charging foreign drivers more for diesel than Slovaks, echoing its 2022 move against Hungary over a similar measure.
Reacting to the Druzhba pipeline halt and the war in Iran, Slovakia has introduced a 30-day restriction on diesel refueling from this week, alongside differentiated pricing for domestic and foreign vehicles.
Commission spokesperson Ricardo Cardoso said on Tuesday that they had taken note of the new measures and described them as “highly discriminatory and against EU law”.
“We understand the need to support citizens – and at this time in particular – (but) measures must not discriminate between nationality nor should they undermine the integrity of our single market,” Cardoso told reporters in Brussels.
The Commission would “take the appropriate legal actions to ensure compliance”, he added.
Fico confident
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on 21 March that he did not expect legal action from the European Commission, as the Slovak measure is set to last only 30 days – a period he considered too short for Brussels to launch infringement proceedings.
From a timing perspective, he may be right, as such procedures typically take time and involve several stages. However, the Commission can act relatively quickly by requesting explanations from a member state or urging it to amend its rules.
The situation could also shift if Slovakia decides to extend the measure.
Hungarian precedent
The Commission has already opened infringement proceedings against Hungary over similar dual pricing.
In 2022, it found that limiting regulated prices to vehicles with Hungarian plates was discriminatory and breached single market rules.
Budapest ultimately scrapped the scheme – but has since reintroduced comparable price controls this month as Orbán’s government faces a tight election campaign.