Öl- und Tankstellenpreise: In Deutschland „rockets and feathers“-Effekt besonders hoch

Rockets and Feathers at the Pump: Fuel Price Asymmetry in the EU – Retail fuel prices rise like rockets when crude oil becomes more expensive but fall like feathers when it becomes cheaper. Using a nonlinear ARDL model and weekly data for 2005–2025, we estimate this asymmetry uniformly for 26 EU countries. The direction is the same everywhere; the magnitude differs by a factor of 16, with Germany at the top. The asymmetry lies in the pre-tax margin and has grown over time. Fiscal interventions therefore miss the target; strengthening competition along the value chain is the appropriate response.