Janaf: Inaccurate Claims by Hungarian Minister Szijjarto

The Adriatic Pipeline (Janaf) has announced that the claims made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto are inaccurate, suggesting an unequal position of MOL as a long-term user of Janaf’s services, and that it firmly opposes any claims indicating a possible unequal position of any user of its services.

In its statement, Janaf notes that for this year it has a contract with MOL Group for the transport of 2.9 million tons of oil through the Janaf system on a ‘full for empty’ basis and a storage contract for 79,385 cubic meters of oil at the Omišalj Terminal and 70,000 cubic meters of oil at the Sisak Terminal on a ‘full for empty’ basis.

By signing these contracts, of which the public was informed in May 2023, Janaf guarantees uninterrupted supply to refineries and markets in Hungary and Slovakia. Furthermore, as emphasized by the company, by continuously investing in the pipeline and storage system and capacities, they guarantee transport amounting to 14.3 million tons on the Omišalj–Gola section, up to the Hungarian border, thereby fully ensuring the oil needs of Hungary and Slovakia.

Janaf emphasizes that it treats all partners equally and that the transport price is defined in a negotiation process according to an established methodology that is not tied to legal entities but to the lengths and utilization of the capacities of the pipeline sections. The methodology for determining transport prices is part of the Regulation on determining oil transport prices through the company’s pipeline system.

– Therefore, the claims made yesterday by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, after a meeting with his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Wlachovsky, suggesting an unequal position of MOL as a long-term user of Janaf’s services and partner are inaccurate. Namely, the transport price for MOL Group is determined according to the length and utilization of the capacity of the Omišalj-Gola section in accordance with the relevant methodology, as MOL Group transports much less than the capacity of the mentioned section according to the contractual obligations undertaken – the company states.

Additionally, they firmly oppose any claims suggesting a possible unequal position of any service user and continue to maintain and develop partnerships with business partners, respecting the interests of all parties involved, concludes the statement.

Szijjarto complained about higher fees and requested an exemption from EU sanctions for MOL and Slovnaft

Hungarian Foreign Minister stated on Monday after a meeting with his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Wlachovsky that excessively high Croatian transit fees for energy products hinder the diversification of supply and energy provision for Hungary and Slovakia.

Croatia has raised transit fees, which are now four times higher than the market price, Szijjarto stated.

– We believe it is not honorable to make large profits during a war, especially if measures jeopardize the energy security of other countries – Szijjarto stated, adding that they are therefore requesting the EU to extend the exemption from sanctions for one year, which allows MOL and Slovnaft, a member of the group, to export products obtained from the processing of Russian oil to the Czech Republic.