Fuel: another cut in excise duty on diesel is set to take effect; targeted support may be available by the end of the month
There are two issues to be resolved: the first, and most important, is the financial one, concerning the resources available; the second issue, on the other hand, is the next one, namely who the aid should be allocated to
Key points
Another brief period of reduced excise duty on diesel for everyone. It begins today, at the same rate (-17 centesimi per litre) that has now been in place for over a month. It will last for a further five days, until and including Thursday 10 September. After that, it will be necessary to decide whether to allow more time to shift towards targeted measures – that is, the plan put forward by the Government and the ruling coalition, which was announced several weeks ago.
Mimit: self-service petrol price rises to 2.054 euros
Fuel prices continue to rise. The Ministry of Enterprise and ‘Made in Italy’ has announced that, according to the latest figures from the Mimit Fuel Price Observatory, on Monday 7 September, the average price of self-service fuel across the national road network stood at 2.054 euros per litre for petrol (2.053 yesterday) and 2.165 euros per litre for diesel (unchanged from yesterday). On the motorway network, however, the average self-service price is 2.140 euros per litre for petrol (2.139 yesterday) and 2.239 euros per litre for diesel (2.238 yesterday).
We will have to wait until the end of the month for this ‘targeted’ aid. “The departments are working on it; 25 days might be enough to find a solution,” said Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, speaking from Cernobbio.
A solution does not seem to be within easy reach because, as the minister explained, the government is ‘also working on the issue of the deviation, and so the measures must be assessed for compatibility with the European Union, including on a technical level. ‘It is now 5 September; 25 days should be enough,’ he added, playing down the possibility of aid arriving by 10 September, when the latest extension of the excise duty cut on diesel – provided for in the latest interministerial decree – is due to expire.
No agreement yet on targeted measures
The majority apparently decided on this change of course several days ago, but reaching an agreement is no easy matter. There are two issues to be resolved: the first, and most important, is the economic one and obviously concerns the resources available; the second issue, on the other hand, is the next one, namely who the aid should be allocated to.
