Plan to limit fuel price increases: Gas stations will be allowed to raise their prices only three times a week.
Austria’s government has introduced a new rule limiting how often petrol stations can raise fuel prices each week. Under the updated Kraftstoffpreis-Verordnung (Fuel Price Regulation), petrol stations will only be allowed to increase prices on three specific days.
The decision, approved by the government, means price increases can only occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Officials hope the regulation will create more transparency in fuel pricing and protect consumers from frequent price spikes at petrol stations.
However, the measure has been strongly criticized by experts and motoring organizations. جيرالد كومنيغ, Secretary General of ARBÖ (Auto-, Motor- und Radfahrerbund Österreichs – Automobile, Motor and Cyclists Association Austria), warned that the new rule may actually harm motorists rather than help them.
According to جيرالد كومنيغ, limiting price increases could discourage petrol stations from quickly lowering prices when market costs fall. Since stations would only have a few opportunities each week to adjust prices upward, operators might keep prices higher for longer, meaning consumers would not immediately benefit from falling fuel costs.
Motoring groups argue that more direct measures would have been far more effective. ARBÖ suggests temporarily suspending CO₂-Bepreisung (carbon pricing), reducing Mineralölsteuer (mineral oil tax), or lowering Mehrwertsteuer (value-added tax) to provide immediate financial relief to drivers.
Fuel prices in Austria remain high despite declining oil costs globally. While the price of Brent crude oil recently dropped below 90 US dollars per barrel, diesel in Austria still averages about €1.925 per liter, while Super 95 petrol costs around €1.721 per liter.
Another major motoring organization, ÖAMTC (Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club – Austrian Automobile, Motorcycle and Touring Club), also expressed disappointment with the government’s approach. مارتن غراسلوبير, a transport economics expert at ÖAMTC, said the government missed an important opportunity to directly reduce the financial burden on consumers.
He added that cutting fuel taxes or limiting profit margins of fuel companies could have provided faster relief while still maintaining supply stability. Instead, the government’s plan focuses mainly on regulating price changes rather than reducing costs themselves.
The government also decided to release part of Austria’s oil reserves as part of the strategy to stabilize prices. However, experts say it is still unclear whether the measures will actually lead to lower fuel costs for consumers.
Motoring organizations say they will closely monitor the impact of the regulation. Representing more than 2.6 million members, ÖAMTC stated it will continue pushing for fair fuel prices and called for stronger action at the European level to ensure transparent international fuel price benchmarks across Europe.