Fuel, excise cut expires on Friday: what could happen

As for the €1.977/litre for diesel, it is sloping considering that when it was decided to extend the 24.4 cents cut (Council of Ministers of 30 April) it was €2.052 per litre. The difference is just over 7 cents. This could lead the government to estimate a downward adjustment. It has to be said, however, that the oil prices remain very high, with Brent approaching $110 per barrel, so a new diesel price increase is always just around the corner.

Friday 22 May will be a decisive day not only because the rebate will expire. A Council of Ministers is scheduled for that day. Then, above all, a meeting with haulage associations is planned at Palazzo Chigi. The reason for this is related to the trade strike that has been announced for the end of the month, from 25 to 29 May.

The disputed point is the situation created by the previous excise cuts. A paradox, as Deputy Transport Minister Edoardo Rixi also explained, because the discount - considered state aid - caused many companies to lose other compensatory contributions. "We must expect that a decree will come out that will affect the issue of fuel price rises, thus avoiding the situation that has arisen with the excise discount," reiterated Rixi during an event at Transpotec Logitec at the Rho Milan trade fair.

There are currently two hypotheses under consideration (see also Il Sole 24 Ore of 17 May). The first concerns an extension of the tax credit for haulage companies introduced by Decree Law 33/2026. The second would take into consideration the extension of the excise duty discounts that expire on 22 May, and that today are worth a reduction of 24.4 cents per litre on diesel and 6.1 cents on petrol. A discount that could be further reduced this time after the last decree already reduced it by 3/4 for petrol. There is still no square on the measures.