Fuels: 6,000 stations out of the 10,000 in the country have already lowered the price of diesel, welcomes Serge Papin

“Contract fulfilled”, welcomed Serge Papin, Tuesday November 3, after a meeting in Bercy with fuel distributors. As promised by the government, diesel prices have already started to fall, assured the Minister of SMEs, Trade and Purchasing Power.

“To date, there are 6,000 stations out of the 10,000 which have lowered their prices” by 12 cents on average, and even by “more than 15 cents” in 4,000 of them, he told the press. This dynamic will continue “in the days to come”, promised Serge Papin, since “little by little, it is the 10,000 stations which will lower their prices”.

This reduction, eagerly awaited by millions of French motorists and professionals, is made possible thanks to the release by the government, since November 1, of ten million barrels of diesel, or around 10% of national reserves.

A small victory for the executive, especially since the operation is complex and unprecedented. “This is the first time that strategic stocks have been used to lower prices,” explained Serge Papin, the latter usually being intended to compensate for shortages.

Accompanied by numerous “technical and legal problems”, the operation constituted “a real logistical challenge”, underlined the minister.