MEP Danuše Nerudová (PPE) has asked the European Commission to assess whether extraordinary refining margins in the EU are a sign of market failure, and to consider measures to increase transparency and limit their impact on fuel prices during crises. The question, submitted on 14 April 2026, targets the gap between crude oil costs and final pump prices, which affects EU consumers and businesses reliant on transport.
The written parliamentary question (E-001515/2026) follows a sharp spike in Brent crude oil prices from around USD 72 to nearly USD 120 per barrel within one month, after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026. Nerudová notes that crude oil accounts for only 30–35% of the final diesel price, while refining margins – the 'crack spread' – reached extraordinary levels of USD 60–80 per barrel in March 2026, up to four times the usual level. She also highlights changing supply routes in Central Europe, where some Member States, after the cessation of Russian supplies, rely on a limited number of routes such as the TAL pipeline, increasing vulnerability to geopolitical and logistical shocks.
The MEP asks three specific questions: how the Commission assesses current refining margins and their impact on fuel prices; whether these margins are due to market factors or indicate insufficient competition or market failure; and whether the Commission is considering measures to increase market transparency and limit the impact of rising refining margins on fuel prices during crises.
Nerudová, a member of the centre-right European People's Party, is pushing for greater scrutiny of the oil market's structure. Her questions imply a concern that high margins may not be justified by supply-demand fundamentals, potentially harming consumers and the broader economy. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it sees a need for regulatory intervention or considers the market functioning normally.