Austria to sue Germany in EU court over delay in gas transit fee removal

Vienna is prepared to file a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice if Germany further delays the process of abolishing the gas transit fee for neighbouring countries,

Austria's Minister of Energy, Leonore Gewessler, made the statement upon her arrival in Brussels for a meeting of EU energy ministers, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"The German gas storage fee is hindering our efforts to reduce dependency on Russian natural gas. In recent days, we’ve received increasingly positive signals that it will be abolished. However, I want to be prepared for all scenarios: if the fee’s cancellation continues to be delayed, Austria is ready to take legal action at the European Court. We are preparing for this," Gewessler emphasized.

Reuters reported on December 11 that Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have urged Germany to abolish the fee as soon as possible to "strengthen European energy security."

The relevant amendment passed its first reading in the Bundestag in September, but its final approval could be delayed following the collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition in November. Berlin had previously promised its EU partners to remove the fee by January 2025.

Vienna, Bratislava, and Prague insist on the immediate removal of the German transit fee, as the contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expires at the end of this year. Kyiv has rejected continuing the transportation of energy resources from Russia.

By Khagan Isayev