German Chancellor Activates National Security Council for Energy Crisis as Aviation Lobby Demands NATO Pipeline Access and Reserve Release

Germany – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced plans to convene Germany's National Security Council to address the escalating energy supply crisis, with aviation fuel explicitly cited among the critical products requiring supply assurance — as the country's aviation industry association BDL has separately issued an urgent call for the release of European strategic jet fuel reserves and a package of emergency measures to prevent large-scale flight cancellations from June.

• Chancellor Merz stated the objective is to ensure that Germany's economy and citizens can rely on stable supplies of key fuels, including diesel, petrol, and jet fuel, adding that the National Security Council is empowered to take immediate action to ensure the nation's energy security if needed.
• The convening of the National Security Council signals that Berlin is treating the energy situation as a security-level problem, not merely an economic one.
• The German Aviation Association (BDL), representing the country's airlines and airports, has warned that unless the government intervenes, large-scale flight cancellations could begin from June onwards, threatening the main summer holiday season.
• BDL's package of proposed emergency measures includes:
  • Release of national and European kerosene reserves.
  • Access to the NATO pipeline system to boost fuel supplies at major hubs including Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, and Zurich.
  • Short-term approval of Jet A category kerosene in addition to the current EU standard Jet A-1, broadening import possibilities from the United States.
  • Suspension of rules requiring specified amounts of sustainable aviation fuel, and a temporary reduction in CO2 emissions costs under the EU Emissions Trading System.
  • A requirement for jet fuel producers and storage operators to report available kerosene quantities.
  • Shielding airlines from passenger compensation claims under EU Passenger Rights regulations as jet fuel scarcity makes short-term cancellations and delays increasingly likely.
• Around 50% of global kerosene production capacity is located in the Persian Gulf region; IEA head Fatih Birol warned on 16 April that Europe could run out of jet fuel within six weeks.
• The EU is set to announce plans next week to optimise refinery capacity and address the looming jet fuel supply crunch.

Source: DPA & BDL