MOL and Slovnaft file formal complaint over alleged Croatian pipeline monopoly

On 27 January 2026, crude oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline were interrupted. The pipeline has been out of service since then, significantly increasing the dependence of landlocked Central and Eastern European refineries on the Adria pipeline as the only viable route.

JANAF has a monopoly over the supply of Hungarian and Slovak refineries from the sea, and despite the fact that in such cases supplying these two countries with seaborne Russian crude oil is permitted and it fully complies with EU and US sanctions (including OFAC regulations), JANAF has been delaying its acceptance, citing further legal checks while MOL Group holds the right and responsibility for procuring crude oil.

It does this despite the fact that under EU sanctions, Hungary and Slovakia can also procure unsanctioned Russian crude oil from the sea if the Druzhba pipeline is not in operation. This position has been confirmed by Hungarian and Slovak authorities, and the clause is also specified in the relevant EU sanctions text.

Since the shutdown of the Druzhba pipeline, MOL Group has asked JANAF several times to confirm that it will take over the Russian-origin sea cargo legally imported under EU and US sanctions rules. This has not happened to date. JANAF’s conduct is considered a refusal of supply and access. Instead of granting access under fair, transparent and non-discriminatory terms, JANAF has used its control over essential infrastructure to restrict access. Thereby, it further exacerbates the already acute supply uncertainty caused by the current war conflicts.

EU competition law clearly states that a company that has a monopoly over energy infrastructure is in a dominant position. Control over such infrastructure allows the operator to behave independently of consumers and competitors, including by raising prices permanently above competitive levels or by refusing access. In the view of MOL and Slovnaft, JANAF's behaviour amounts to this, and the company abused its dominant position.

MOL is therefore calling on the European Commission to put an end to the JANAF infringement through an accelerated procedure and allow MOL and Slovnaft to access the critical infrastructure. The European Commission's intervention would also put an end to the unjustified denial of access to essential facilities, which harms consumers and the public interest in several Central European countries, as it endangers the security of energy supply in the vulnerable Central and Eastern European region.

JANAF will bear legal and financial responsibility for any financial damage resulting from the delayed arrival of the confirmation. MOL reserves the right to assert its claim for damages against JANAF.

In their letter sent to the European Commission, MOL and Slovnaft once again draw attention to JANAF's unfair pricing practice. The Croatian company has been charging three to four times the fair market price for transportation since 2022 and is not willing to change this in any meaningful way. MOL and Slovnaft are therefore submitting another submission on JANAF's abusive pricing and negotiation practices.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/04032026/mol-and-slovnaft-file-formal-complaint-over-alleged-croatian-pipeline-monopoly/