Croatian oil pipeline operator JANAF has firmly dismissed accusations from Hungary’s MOL Group and Slovakia’s Slovnaft, following a new complaint filed with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition. The complaint claims that JANAF is allegedly abusing its pricing policies for crude oil transportation.
In response, JANAF stated that it is fully prepared to cooperate with European authorities and address any claims through official channels. The company expressed confidence that ongoing investigations would confirm that its operations comply with EU regulations.
JANAF emphasized that its business practices strictly follow EU competition rules as well as international sanctions regimes. The company is open to scrutiny by the European Commission and remains committed to constructive dialogue while defending the transparency of its operations.
The operator clarified that transportation fees on its pipeline network are applied using identical criteria for all clients. The pricing structure is established through a transparent process, ensuring that all partners understand the methodology used to calculate transport fees.
JANAF also criticized MOL’s comparisons between its system and other oil pipeline networks, arguing that such assessments ignore technical and operational differences. The company claims that selectively highlighting unit transport costs misrepresents the broader context of the pipeline network’s operations.
Further, JANAF accused MOL of attempting to exert pressure on both the company and European institutions, with the aim of maintaining access to discounted Russian crude oil, which MOL had previously used to achieve significant profit margins.
Despite the dispute, JANAF highlighted its role as a reliable supplier of crude oil transport services to Central Europe. The company noted that MOL has scheduled deliveries of nine tankers carrying non-Russian oil to the Omisalj terminal, four of which have already been unloaded, with three expected in March and two more in April.
JANAF reaffirmed its commitment to continue delivering crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia according to agreed transport schedules, regardless of the ongoing disagreement.
