Fuel protests in France put Europe’s hauliers under pressure

Fuel has become more than another item in transport companies’ cost base. In France, frustration has already spilled over into protests, while road transport organisations elsewhere in Europe are calling on governments to introduce tax relief, subsidies and schemes that would refund part of the diesel bill.

The pressure reflects disruption in global energy markets. At the start of the week, the price of Brent crude rose to $109 per barrel as fresh disruptions affected crude supplies from the Middle East.

Fishermen block ports and fuel terminals

The strongest reaction so far has come from France. Fishermen in the south of the country recently blocked, among other locations, the ports of Nice and Grau-du-Roi, as well as access to the fuel terminal in Frontignan. An earlier action also affected the terminal at Fos-sur-Mer.

At Frontignan, several dozen fishermen prevented fuel tankers from passing through, while law enforcement intervened during an earlier protest at the same site. Their main demands were lower fuel costs and measures that would keep fishing businesses viable.

The French government increased fuel assistance for fishermen from 25 to 35 cents per litre, but the sector said the move did not go far enough and called for more lasting solutions. Following talks with industry representatives, Minister for the Sea and Fisheries Catherine Chabaud said support would be linked to movements in fuel prices. Companies facing cash-flow problems were also offered interest-free loans while they waited for the aid to be paid. The protesters subsequently agreed to lift the blockades.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also ordered targeted support measures linked to high fuel prices to remain in place until 31 December 2026. The government says the measures are intended to protect economic activity, employment and growth in the sectors hardest hit by the crisis.

Could the yellow vests return? More questions than answers

The latest price surge has revived memories in France of the yellow vest protests. The movement began in 2018, with rising petrol and diesel prices among its immediate triggers. Calls for a new mobilisation are now circulating on social media once again.

17 October is the date mentioned most often, but it would be premature to describe it as the confirmed date of a nationwide protest.

Le Monde reported that some of the widely shared material came from newly created social-media accounts, with no recognised organisation from the yellow vest movement currently backing the call. The person behind the video that helped promote 17 October later said that, for now, they would not organise a demonstration.

Rising fuel costs have nevertheless returned to the centre of France’s public debate. According to material cited by Polskie Radio, fuel prices in France currently stand at around €2 to €2.50 per litre, while purchasing power remains a major public concern.

France stands out because public frustration has already taken the form of street protests. While transport organisations in Poland, Germany and Spain are asking governments for tax relief, subsidies and measures to limit diesel costs, frustration in France has already reached the streets and the gates of fuel terminals. Fishermen are currently at the forefront of the protests, but rising fuel prices have also reopened the debate over a possible yellow vest mobilisation.

Poland: hauliers call for a professional diesel scheme

There have been no street protests in Poland so far, but pressure from the road transport sector is clearly growing. The West Pomeranian Association of Road Carriers has asked the infrastructure minister to introduce ‘professional diesel’. The proposed mechanism would allow licensed hauliers to reclaim part of the charges included in the diesel price, including portions of excise duty, the fuel levy and the emissions charge.

If setting up a permanent scheme would take more time, the association has suggested an interim solution: a direct payment for every litre of diesel purchased, similar to the support system used for farmers.

The industry is also seeking temporary reductions in selected charges, along with the option to defer ZUS contributions and taxes for companies whose financial position has deteriorated because of the fuel price surge.

According to the association, diesel now represents 35% to 40% of the operating costs of transport companies.

The Northern Chamber of Commerce in Szczecin has presented its own package of proposals. It includes temporarily reducing the fiscal components of fuel prices, creating targeted support for the most fuel-intensive businesses, allowing public-law liabilities to be deferred and improving transparency around how prices are set at filling stations.

Germany: €1,800 more per truck each month

Germany’s transport sector is pushing for similar relief. The Bundesverband Güterkraftverkehr Logistik und Entsorgung has appealed directly to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

BGL says the price of diesel in Germany has risen by around 60 euro cents per litre on a net basis since the latest escalation in the Middle East. For a truck travelling 10,000 kilometres a month and using roughly 3,000 litres of fuel, that translates into €1,800 in additional monthly costs for each vehicle.

For a fleet of 50 vehicles, the organisation estimates that the extra bill would reach €90,000 per month, or €1.08 million over a year.

BGL is also calling for a professional diesel scheme. It points to systems already operating in countries including France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Hungary, where companies meeting specific conditions can recover part of the tax included in the fuel price.

The German association is also seeking changes to carbon-emissions costs. At the same time, it does not regard a cut in fuel VAT as an effective solution for businesses that are able to reclaim the tax.

Spain: €720 more each month

Spanish road transport operators are also preparing for higher costs. The Confederación Española de Empresarios de Estaciones de Servicio forecasts that, from 1 October, the average retail price of diesel on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands could rise by 24.2 euro cents per litre.

CETM has calculated what that would mean for a haulier. A truck using around 3,000 litres of diesel per month would add approximately €720 to its operator’s monthly costs, or more than €8,600 over a year.

The Spanish organisation is asking the government to extend fuel support, which is due to expire at the end of September. It is also defending the mandatory clause that allows freight rates to be adjusted when diesel costs change.

CETM warns that weakening this mechanism would once again leave transport companies carrying a cost risk over which they have no direct control.