France will check prices at gas stations. “The war cannot be used as a pretext for illegal price increases”

In France, inspections at gas stations begin on Monday to prevent possible unjustified increases in fuel prices. In the second half of the week, the government will meet with distributors. The authorities are not currently considering intervention in the face of rising prices.

The inspections were announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. “The war in the Middle East cannot be used as a pretext for illegal price increases at gas stations,” he stressed on the website.

He announced 500 inspections, which will be carried out from Monday to Wednesday by the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumers and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF).

The French government announced last Friday that the price of 95 E10 gasoline, most frequently purchased by French consumers, increased by 10 euro cents compared to the period before the start of the war in the Middle East. This means that filling up a car with a 50-liter tank is now 5 euros more expensive.

Even more – by about 15%. – diesel prices increased. Last Friday it cost on average EUR 1.98 per liter, compared to the price of EUR 1.72 on February 27.

Announced by the Prime Minister the inspections will consist in checking prices at gas stations and making them public. The idea is that, as a result, consumers will punish stations that raise prices, i.e. they will not buy where it is most expensive.

After the inspections, a government meeting with fuel distributors is planned at the end of the week, government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon announced on Monday. She assured that there is no risk of fuel and gas deficit. Bregeon, who is also the delegated minister for energy, said it was currently too early to talk about government aid in the face of rising prices. The opposition – the far-right National Rally (RN) and the radical left-wing France Untamed (LFI) – appealed for intervention, such as reducing excise taxes on fuel or freezing prices.

Some experts – emphasized the daily “Le Figaro” – fear that the increase in oil prices will have wider effects, e.g. an increase in food prices. However, as the Minister of Economy Roland Lescure assured, there are no concerns about the fuel deficit in the short term. France has three months' worth of strategic oil reserves.

From Paris Anna Wróbel (PAP)

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