Trust for PCK Schwedt: Bundestag secures jobs until 2026!

Trust for PCK Schwedt: Bundestag secures jobs until 2026!

In Schwedt/Oder, Brandenburg, things are currently heating up when it comes to the future of the PCK refinery. With around 1,200 employees, the refinery is not only a central employer in the region, but also an indispensable part of the energy supply in Brandenburg and Berlin. It has been processing crude oil into valuable fuels, heating oil and petrochemical precursors for over 60 years.

Today the PCK refinery is particularly under discussion because the Bundestag has amended the Foreign Trade Act. The aim of this legal adjustment is to permanently anchor the trust management of Rosneft's shares in the refinery. This trust currently only runs until the end of April 2026, but has been extended at regular intervals in the past. The current administration was introduced in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine and is intended to eliminate legal uncertainties and facilitate investment. Stefan Zierke from the SPD in particular emphasizes that this step is intended to ensure the long-term security of trust administration.

Trust administration and its importance

The PCK refinery was founded by the GDR in the 1960s and saw times when over 8,000 people were employed there. After reunification, it fell into the hands of the Treuhandanstalt, which led to massive job losses. The amendment to the law is intended to ensure that such uncertainty does not occur again, especially in times when energy supplies in Germany are threatened by geopolitical tensions.

The federal government has also extended the trust administration via Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH until March 10, 2026 to ensure security of supply. The Federal Network Agency will act as trustee and retain control of the German Rosneft shares. This ensures that the essential infrastructure for petroleum processing does not falter.

Political reactions and outlook

The political debate surrounding trust administration shows a clear divide: While the CDU/CSU and SPD are campaigning for the amendment to the law, the AfD rejects it. Karina Dörk from the CDU says that the situation will remain tense until the scheduled deadline of April 2026, especially because of the American sanctions against Russia. However, the government also sees itself in an international context; Countries such as Bulgaria and Romania have introduced similar trust solutions for their refineries to secure their own energy supplies.

Overall, the amendment to the Foreign Trade Act brings hope for more stability for employees in Schwedt and the entire region. While the general conditions remain uncertain, there are efforts to secure the Schwedt location in the long term and to have a good hand in the future of the refinery.

Those interested can find further details on the current situation and the political developments surrounding the refinery in the reports from Berlin newspaper and Federal Ministry of Economics.