Parliament: Questions about low gas supplies and price increases remain unanswered

State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Energy Mile Horvat did not directly answer the parliamentary question on Wednesday regarding whether gas prices in Croatia will increase and whether gas supplies are indeed at their lowest in the last two decades, after Branimir Bunjac from the Living Wall party indicated that citizens are concerned about potential gas price hikes.

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Citizens are interested in whether the price of gas will increase and what the supply of this energy source will be, Branimir Bunjac asked during the parliamentary debate on the proposal for a new Gas Market Law, noting that it could be inferred that prices will soon rise. He also inquired whether there could be supply issues, given that some information suggests that gas supplies are at their lowest in the last two decades.

Price under the jurisdiction of HERA

“The logic of this law is to ensure quality and sustainable gas supply over three years, a period in which we must adapt and within the timeframe set by the European Commission. Therefore, 2021 is the final deadline when we will enter the market with all elements participating in that system,” Horvat replied.

Until then, he emphasizes, we have been given the space to choose suppliers on the wholesale market in a more transparent manner and for public service suppliers, i.e., direct suppliers to households, to choose with whom they will work.

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Croatian households, he states, have had a wide choice of suppliers, and so far about 10,000 have changed their supplier, emphasizing that Croatia has its own gas capacity for 45 percent of its needs, while the rest must be supplied from the market.

When it comes to gas prices, the state secretary explains that “the price will be formed, it will not be higher, it will be determined by criteria prescribed by law, and it will be set by HERA.” Thus, the government will not set the price, neither higher nor lower. Elements from the law will show what the highest allowed price will be, Horvat stated.