Overview
- The federal Economics Ministry has produced a draft law to enable a temporary fuel price cap meant to start around January 2027 if formally activated by ministers under the new rules.
- The draft requires Germany's pump-price rise to exceed the EU average by more than five percentage points for three consecutive weeks before a cap can be set and limits any cap to three months.
- SPD figures including Sebastian Roloff, Lars Klingbeil and other ministers publicly say the design is ineffective because it authorizes a cap without guaranteeing timely, visible relief at the pumps.
- The Greens and other critics call instead for a windfall-profit tax on oil firms, arguing a tax or a formula-based daily maximum price would prevent companies from profiting during the price spike.
- Public pressure is high: an NIM‑Institute survey shows about 71% back a price cap and 66% support a windfall tax, while many drivers report already cutting trips, driving more efficiently, or switching toward electric cars.