Der Standard and De Telegraaf say 17 cents a litre has been agreed; taz says 14 cents is still being negotiated

The first report. At 17:56 UTC, taz reported that the federal government was still negotiating ("verhandelt"). It said the energy tax "could fall by 14 cents" and that a fuel price cap was only "under discussion".

The next two. About 20 minutes later, Der Standard and De Telegraaf reported a deal. De Telegraaf, citing the German news agency dpa, said the government and the states had "reached an agreement" and that duty on diesel and petrol would fall "by 17 cents per litre".

Two different measures. De Telegraaf counts 17 cents off the tax. Der Standard says pump prices "should" fall by 17 cents. Those two are not the same thing. A tax cut reaches drivers only if fuel sellers pass it on.

Not settled - Whether a deal was signed. The two reports of a deal may both rest on one dpa account. - Whether there is a price cap. Only Der Standard's headline says one was agreed, and its text does not mention it. - What the cut costs the public budget, and how much of it drivers will see. None of the three reports says.

What this is about. Germany's government plans to cut the tax on petrol and diesel so that drivers pay less at the pump.

How it got here. Germany taxes motor fuel through a federal energy tax, charged per litre and paid at the pump. When fuel prices are high, a cut in that tax is the fastest way for a government to lower the pump price. Germany has done this before. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent energy prices up, Berlin cut fuel tax for three months, from June to August 2022. It was called the "Tankrabatt", or fuel rebate. De Telegraaf's headline says the tax is being cut "again". None of the three reports says what has pushed prices up this time.

Who is involved. The federal government in Berlin sets the energy tax. The 16 federal states have a voice through the Bundesrat, the upper house that represents them in federal law-making. That is why De Telegraaf names both the government and the states as parties to the deal. Oil companies and filling stations decide how much of a tax cut reaches the price on the pump.

What is at stake. Commuters, hauliers and rural households, who drive more, gain most from cheaper fuel. The public budget loses the tax revenue. In 2022 there was a public argument over how much of the rebate fuel companies actually passed on to drivers. A price cap would limit what sellers can charge, rather than relying on them to pass on the cut.

Where it stands. On the evening of 18 September, reports differed on whether a deal had been done. They gave a figure of either 17 cents or 14 cents. No report we hold gives a start date, how long the cut would last, or what it would cost.