Bundestag advises amendment to law: Federal government should be able to expropriate companies

Bundestag advises amendment to the law
Federal government should be able to expropriate companies

The law should come into force as soon as possible: In an energy crisis, the federal government wants to expropriate companies if necessary. State Secretary Krischer argues that it cannot be the case that someone who owns a critical infrastructure for the energy supply is endangering the supply.

In the event of an energy crisis, the federal government should be able to intervene in the market and expropriate companies if necessary. One sees that Amendment of the Energy Security Act before, which was discussed in the Bundestag for the first time. Parliamentary State Secretary in the Economics Ministry, Oliver Krischer from the Greens, said the law should come into force as soon as possible.

It could form the basis for the refinery in Schwedt in Brandenburg to come under state supervision. The refinery has been taken over almost entirely by the Russian state-owned company Rosneft.

12 percent of the oil from Russia

Green Economics Minister Robert Habeck had said that Germany’s dependence on Russian oil had been reduced from 35 percent before the start of the Ukraine war to 12 percent within eight weeks. These are oil imports from the refinery in Schwedt. If you no longer want this oil, you need an alternative for Schwedt. Habeck had described a possible western oil embargo against Russia as “manageable”.

Krischer said that as an “ultima ratio” it must also be possible to expropriate companies under clearly defined and very strict conditions. It cannot be that someone who owns a critical infrastructure for the energy supply endangers the supply.

The FDP energy politician Michael Kruse said: “Anyone who misuses critical infrastructure in Germany against German and European interests can no longer be the owner of this critical infrastructure.”

SPD MP Bengt Bergt said: “As an absolute ultima ratio, we must also be able to resort to the crowbar of expropriation” – and that is when there is no other way to ensure the security of the energy supply. In addition to expropriations, the amendment to the Energy Security Act also provides that companies that operate critical energy infrastructures can be placed under state trusteeship if necessary.

source site-32