Picture taken on May 5, 2026 shows a general view of Slovakia's largest mineral oil refinery Slovnaft in Bratislava, Slovakia. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP)
Vienna: Slovakia on Wednesday announced it was repealing restrictions on diesel sales, including higher prices for foreign drivers, which the European Commission said ran afoul of EU laws.
Slovakia had decided on the measures in March, citing the suspension of oil supplies from a pipeline through Ukraine, as energy prices soared globally due to the war in the Middle East.
Russian oil supplies to the landlocked EU member were restored last month after Ukraine fixed the pipeline -- damaged by Russian strikes -- after a long-running spat.
The abolition of the dual pricing system -- charging drivers with foreign licence plates more -- will take effect from Friday, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
The government also removed a 10-litre limit on refuelling an external tank, she added.
The European Commission said in March that Slovakia's decision to make foreign drivers pay more for diesel was "highly discriminatory and against EU law" and that it would "take the appropriate legal action".
Sakova said that by lifting the restrictions, the grounds cited by the commission for potential legal action "no longer exist".
