Oil Companies Allowed to Use Operational Eurodiesel Reserves

The Ministry of Mining and Energy has allowed oil companies that submitted requests to use their operational Eurodiesel reserves in order to ensure secure supplies to the domestic market, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said.

The Ministry of Mining and Energy decided to allow oil companies that submitted requests to use their operational reserves to supply the market due to the increasingly complex situation on the global market, difficulties with imports caused by low river levels in the region and a seasonal increase in demand, the ministry announced.

- Operational reserves make it possible to overcome current supply difficulties without using state reserves, allowing oil companies to immediately obtain the fuel they need and ensuring that our market remains well supplied, as it has been until now. This was also requested by the oil companies, primarily because imports by ship have been reduced to 30 to 40% of capacity, which they are currently unable to compensate for from other sources - Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said.

The minister emphasized that the supply situation is currently very challenging because oil companies cannot rely sufficiently on the Danube, railways or trucks to import the planned quantities. Therefore, she stressed, it was necessary for the state to allow the use of a certain amount of fuel from the companies' own operational reserves, which they are legally required to maintain.

- These reserves are then replenished relatively quickly once imports of petroleum products return to normal, within a jointly agreed timeframe, while at the same time avoiding the use of state reserves, which we are preserving and continuing to increase. We will also allow NIS, at its request, to make its operational reserves available to companies that currently have greater demand for supplies from the domestic refinery due to reduced imports, which will resolve the issue of supplying the domestic market during this period - the minister stated.

Djedovic Handanovic emphasized that the Ministry monitors the situation regarding petroleum products on a daily basis and that the state is prepared to respond promptly to situations that could affect security of supply.

- We cannot influence nature or global developments, but we can prepare in advance for crises and unforeseen situations, which is what we have been doing. Over the past three years, we have doubled mandatory petroleum product reserves, and this gives us the security to respond promptly and effectively and protect our citizens and economy when negative effects from the region and the world spill over into our country, as we have done so far. Citizens have not experienced any supply difficulties despite all the challenges the country has faced since January 2025 - the minister said.

She added that the use of operational reserves is a measure intended to overcome temporary import problems, while the operation of the Pancevo refinery remains crucial for long-term security of supply.

- Extending the operating license, which expires on July 31, would allow NIS to continue supplying crude oil to Pancevo and continue processing at the maximum volumes necessary to meet increased demand for petroleum products amid reduced imports by other oil companies - Djedovic Handanovic stated.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic

operational Eurodiesel reserves