Habeck visits the refinery in Schwedt on Monday

Created: 05/06/2022, 16:22

With a view to the planned oil embargo against Russia, Robert Habeck considers supply problems to be possible, especially in East Germany.

© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

The EU oil embargo is approaching.

Robert Habeck will visit a refinery early next week to get an idea.

Part of Germany could be particularly affected by supply problems.

Berlin - Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck is traveling to Schwedt in Brandenburg on Monday and will hold talks there with the management and staff of the PCK refinery.

This was announced by his ministry on Friday.

The refinery is controlled by the Russian state-owned company Rosneft and a core problem is that Germany is not becoming independent of Russian oil supplies any faster.

With a view to the planned EU oil embargo against Russia, the Green politician believes that supply problems, especially in eastern Germany, are possible.

The "Druschba" (Friendship) pipeline from Russia ends in Schwedt.

The oil is processed in the refinery.

The plant has more than 1000 employees.

According to the Economics Ministry, Germany's dependence on Russian oil has fallen to 12 percent from around 35 percent last year.

This 12 percent relates to deliveries to the refinery in Schwedt.

Habeck had announced several times that he wanted to solve the problem.

A lever for this could be an amendment to the Energy Security Act.

This is in the parliamentary process.

Based on the changes in the law, the federal government could place the refinery under state trusteeship or even expropriate it.

Woidke demands safe alternatives for refineries

In view of the EU's planned oil embargo against Russia, Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) is urging that supplies to the region be secured.

On Friday, Woidke called for help from the federal government to prevent far-reaching negative consequences from an embargo for consumers and the economy and to maintain the PCK refinery with around 1,200 employees.

It is majority owned by the Russian state-owned company Rosneft.

Woidke pointed out that the refinery was of great importance for the secure supply of large parts of East Germany with fuel.

more on the subject

Economics Minister Habeck visits a refinery in Schwedt

Brandenburg wants to look for alternatives to oil with the federal government

IHK Ostbrandenburg sees division in oil and gas embargo

"Firstly, safe alternatives must be found for the operation of the refinery in order to continue to guarantee the security of supply in large parts of East Germany," wrote Woidke in a letter to Habeck that was available to the German Press Agency and the "Potsdamer Latest News".

“Secondly, the jobs in the refinery, but also in all companies involved, must be secured with suitable measures by the federal government.

And thirdly, with a purely political decision like this one on an embargo on Russian oil, the region needs political and financial support for the necessary conversion and transformation measures.” dpa