Slovakia Abolishes Diesel Sales Restrictions Amid Criticism

Slovakia will lift diesel sales volume restrictions and remove higher prices for foreign vehicles starting Friday, as announced by Economy Minister Denisa Sakova. These measures, previously criticized as illegal by the European Commission, were put in place following a Druzhba pipeline outage, alleged to be caused by Russian attacks.

Slovakia is set to lift diesel fuel sales restrictions and abolish increased pricing for foreign-registered vehicles starting this Friday. The announcement was made by Economy Minister Denisa Sakova on her Facebook page. These measures had been implemented in March during an outage of the Druzhba pipeline, a situation attributed by Ukraine to a Russian attack.

The European Commission had criticized these restrictions as illegal. However, since the Druzhba pipeline resumed operations last month, the Slovak government has decided to revert the policy. The move is intended to normalize fuel supplies and alleviate pressure on cross-border commerce within the region.

The policy shift underscores Slovakia's commitment to aligning with European regulations while ensuring uninterrupted energy supplies and fair trade practices amidst geopolitical tensions.