Draft Law Provides for Secure Fuel Supply
Under the proposed amendment, published by the energy ministry, the government would have the ability to institute "standby filling stations" when there is a supply emergency. The filling stations would provide priority access to essential users to ensure fuel is available to maintain key functions of the country. If approved, the amendment would take effect January 1, 2026, to establish the legal and financial framework for fuel allocation during critical times.

The Effect of a Refinery Fire and Upcoming U.S.-Based Sanctions
The draft law is in response to a fire at the Danube refinery owned by Hungary's MOL oil company, which caused a reduction in operations at a facility capable of refining up to 165,000 barrels of crude oil daily, in a facility that is already critical to Hungary. The draft comes after news of the new U.S.-backed sanctions directed toward Russian oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, which are becoming increasingly imposing on Hungary's already heavy crude oil dependency.

Orbán Discusses Options and Exemptions
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has conveyed that Hungary is considering possible actions to lessen the sanctions' effects and is seeking to engage U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on November 7 to explore possible options, including a specific exemption to the coming energy sanctions. The International Energy Agency states that the Danube refinery, supplied mainly through the Druzhba pipeline, is still supplying enough crude oil for Hungary to maintain the demand for domestically refined oil products.