Czechia Caps Fuel Retail Margins, Cuts Diesel Excise Tax as EU Prices Hit Records

Czechia's government approved reinstating fuel price regulation from Oct. 1, 2026, capping retailers' margins at 2.5 koruna (€0.10) per liter and cutting diesel excise duty to the EU minimum, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said on Sept. 22, 2026. The finance ministry will publish daily maximum petrol and diesel prices and reduce diesel duty from 9.95 koruna (€0.41) to about 8 koruna (€0.33) per liter for October. Including VAT relief, pump prices are estimated to fall 2.35 koruna (€0.10) per liter. The government also approved a temporary 50% levy on the increase in refiners' gross margins versus 2025, applying in 2026 and 2027. Czech petrol and diesel averaged 44.21 koruna (€1.81) per liter in August, up from 34.49 koruna (€1.41) a year earlier. EU petrol hit a record €2.06 per liter last week; diesel reached €2.16. Czechia joins Germany, Croatia, Romania, Italy and others in fuel tax cuts and price controls sparked by Middle East conflict disruption to Gulf crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz.