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Brussels – Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela welcomed Germany’s decision to cancel the transit gas fee. According to him, the decision will contribute to strengthening the energy security of Central Europe. Síkela stated before today’s meeting in Brussels that the Czech Republic is demanding the complete abolition of the controversial fee. German State Secretary Sven Giegold subsequently announced that the German government has already agreed to abolish the fee. Since this requires a change in the law, the earliest possible date for the abolition of the fee is the beginning of 2025.
“Once again, it is confirmed that cooperation at the union level, not only in the energy sector, strengthens all member states. I appreciate the declared decision of the German government to abandon the fee that favored the import of gas from the east at the expense of gas from our western allies starting next year,” stated Síkela on the social network X. “I am convinced that the German response to our initiative will contribute to strengthening the energy security of Central Europe. It is also a clear confirmation that proactive and constructive policy at the European level is the most effective way to achieve our goals,” he added.
The fee, which is intended to cover the costs of storing gas in reserves, was introduced by Germany during the recent energy crisis associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Even before today’s meeting, Minister Síkela also mentioned that it is necessary to consider what to do with the money that Prague has already paid for the fee. He added that he personally always prefers agreements over courts. Whether he received a response from Berlin on this issue is not yet clear.
Although the Czechs and Germans were at odds over the topic of the transit fee, they agree on another topic – ending the EU’s dependence on Russian energy sources. Minister Síkela and German Minister of Economy Robert Habeck wrote a joint letter to the Belgian presidency, which they intended to present to their union colleagues today. In it, they call for the creation of a high-level working group to address the reduction of energy imports from Russia.
“In response to Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, the EU has drastically reduced its dependence on Russia in the energy sector. Thanks to our joint efforts, the import of fossil fuels from Russia to the EU has decreased by more than 80% compared to 2021. Nevertheless, they still represent the largest share of Russian imports into the EU in terms of value,” states the letter available to CTK. “In the interest of our energy sovereignty and security, we must continue to systematically reduce the import of gas, oil, and also radioactive material from Russia,” add the Czech and German ministers.