EXCLUSIVE-German government plans to introduce gas tax | Photo credits: Uniper SE
by Markus Wacket
BERLIN, July 1 (Reuters) – The German government is considering imposing a gas tax to help suppliers struggling with rising import prices, according to a bill seen by Reuters on Friday.
Germany is working to put in place an emergency mechanism before the Russian natural gas operator Gazprom completely interrupts gas flows to the country from July 11 to carry out maintenance on its Nord Stream network. 1 for 10 days.
According to experts, this interruption could be prolonged and would push gas prices up.
The bill states that the additional costs linked to gas imports would be distributed among all consumers according to a “transparent and non-discriminatory” procedure, on their bills.
The government could introduce a levy instead of a general price adjustment clause by suppliers. The new levy assessment system will be based on the model of the EEG surcharge, which is used to support renewable energy.
The legislation is expected to pass parliament on July 8, according to industry and government sources. (Reporting by Markus Wacket, Tom Kaeckenhof, Vera Eckert; writing by Miranda Murray and Riham Alkousaa; French version Dina Kartit, editing by Sophie Louet)