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From lorries to fishing: all the support measures in the Road Haulage Decree to tackle high diesel prices

To tackle the high cost of diesel, the government has allocated 105.2 million euros to hauliers, 60 million to farmers and 10 million to fishermen

by Pietro Menzani

23 October 2026

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Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Across the road haulage, agriculture and fisheries sectors, the government has decided to allocate aid totalling 175.2 million euros. Firstly, the decree-law passed by the Council of Ministers extends the tax credit for lorries until the end of October, with 105.2 million earmarked to combat high diesel prices. In addition, non-repayable grants totalling 60 million are being provided for farmers and 10 million for fishermen.

Road haulage

As for the hauliers, Palazzo Chigi has opted to increase the tax credit already provided for in the excise duty decrees. The allocation provided for to date, amounting to 430 million for the months from March to September, is being increased by 45.2 million euros and limited to the months from March to August. As a result, the tax relief rises from 430 to around 480 million, as announced by Deputy Minister Edoardo Rixi. A further 60 million euros has been allocated for expenditure in September and up to 5 October. In total, therefore, this amounts to 105.2 million euros earmarked for lorries.

At a regulatory level, however, the decree adopted by the Council of Ministers provides for the suspension, until 31 March 2027, of vehicle lease payments due between November 2026 and March 2027. The aim is to ease the financial pressure on businesses.

As regards the renewal of the fleet, the fund of over half a billion euros promised by the government will be released at a later date, perhaps as part of the budget bill, partly following negotiations with the European institutions on polluting vehicles.

Agriculture

The aid measures approved by the Council of Ministers provide for a total package of 70 million euros to support agricultural and fishing businesses, which are struggling with high fuel prices.

A non-repayable grant of 60 million euros is on the way for the agricultural sector, equivalent to 20 per cent of the costs incurred for the purchase of fuel between 1 June and 15 October 2026, up to a maximum of 45 cents per litre. The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that the funds will be transferred to Agea (the Agency for Agricultural Subsidies), which has been designated as the authority responsible for managing the administrative requirements relating to the aid scheme. The procedures and deadlines for submitting the necessary documentation will be set out within five days of the decree coming into force, and payments are expected to be made within the following thirty days.

The head of MASAF, Francesco Lollobrigida, pointed out that around 121 million litres will benefit from a subsidy of up to 0.45 euros per litre, a measure which comes on top of ‘the support already provided to over 138,000 farmers through the 100 million previously allocated’.

Fishing

The government has finally decided to allocate 10 million to the fishing sector, with a non-repayable grant equivalent to 10 per cent of expenditure incurred between 1 June and 15 October 2026. Minister Lollobrigida announced that the allocated funds “are in addition to the 10 million already disbursed to benefit over 1,635 businesses in the sector”.

This is not, therefore, an ‘isolated measure’, explains Lollobrigida. ‘We will continue to work in this direction. We would like to thank the regions which, thanks to our implementing decree, have supplemented these resources with their own funds. On Monday I will be in Brussels to ask once again for the opportunity to allocate further resources to support our agricultural and fishing businesses,’ concludes the minister.

Francesca Biondo, director of Federpesca, welcomed the MASAF initiative: “We once again appreciate the commitment shown by the Government and Minister Lollobrigida in this fresh demonstration of support for the fishing sector and for their collaboration with industry associations.” Biondo also pointed out that “swift action and simplified procedures are essential to ensure that this support translates into tangible assistance for businesses” and that it is “necessary to overcome the constraints which, under previous schemes, prevented all operators from benefiting from the grants”.