German gas storage levy is abolished - positive signal for Austria!

German gas storage levy is abolished - positive signal for Austria!

An important step for European energy supply: the controversial German gas storage levy is facing abolition. The regular surcharge of currently EUR 2.50 per megawatt hour (MWh), which was introduced in the course of the energy crisis in 2022, strongly stressed the neighboring countries of Austria and the Czech Republic. The tax for Austrian gas importers represents annual additional costs of over 100 million euros, as Elisabeth Zehetner, managing director of Oecolution, explains. This measure is considered an urgently needed Christmas present for the domestic economy, which is already looking for major challenges. "The abolition of this unnecessary levy would be crucial for us," said Zehetner, who at the same time refers to the need for further measures to prevent future cost increases from January 2025. This also reported Kurier .

The agreement to abolish is the result of political negotiations in the Bundestag after the designated CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has signaled his support. From Friday, December 20, the change in law is to be finally decided. It was announced in insider circles that the CDU parliamentary group gave a clear commitment to abolition in a meeting on December 17, in particular due to the tension-charged relationships with neighboring countries. The Greens and the SPD, which had previously pleaded for the abolition, are also behind this decision. This political rethinking could not only reduce the financial burdens of the neighbors, but also contribute to the stabilization of the European gas internal market, such as Oecolution emphasized.

With the intended dismissal of the surcharge, an important step is to improve the competitiveness of European markets. In Austria, the economy is waiting for a clear solution to avert impending relocations and job losses. The pressure on political decision -makers remains high in order to implement sustainable measures to strengthen industrial competitiveness. The upcoming Bundestag decision could have significant effects, not only on short -term costs, but also on long -term cooperation within the EU.