Fuel: Denmark has the highest prices in the EU, but Italy has the highest tax burden

Italian motorists can take advantage, during the days of the August bank holiday, of falling fuel prices at the pump: according to the most recent daily Staffetta survey, the national average price of petrol was at its lowest level since 5 February, that of diesel since 18 June. But taxes continue to weigh on the 'full tank': in the Unem update on prices applied in the European Union (early July data), Italy is in fourth place for the tax component on petrol over diesel. Overall, Denmark is the EU country with the highest price for both petrol and diesel. For LPG, on the other hand, the record goes to France.

At the end of July, the average price of petrol at Italian petrol stations was EUR 1.860, higher than the EU average (EUR 1.743) and fourth after Denmark, The Netherlands (the only two countries above EUR 2 per litre) and Greece (1.897). Breaking down the value, it can be seen that the 'industrial price' for Italy is €0.796 (lower than the EU average), to which, however, is added the tax component of €1.064 (the average is €0.934), fourth among all EU countries after Holland (€1.146), Greece (€1.083) and Finland (€1.075).

The weight of Italian taxation is also marked on diesel. In Italy at the beginning of July, the consumer price was 1.738 euro/litre (above the EU average of 1.628) - only motorists in Denmark, Holland, Belgium pay more - of which 0.859 euro is to be attributed to the tax component. In only three EU countries (out of a total of 27) are excise duties higher: Ireland, France, Belgium.

As for LPG, the most expensive price is in France (0.986 euro), followed by Germany (0.984) and Spain (0.947). In Italy, liquefied petroleum gas at the beginning of last month was sold at 0.713 euro per litre (0.276 is the tax component).