Fuels, Guardia di Finanza strengthens controls on the supply chain

Fuels, the first meetings of the Rapid Price Alert Commission were held on 6 March, convened to address the escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the possible effects on energy markets and consumer products. "At present, the average fuel price is below EUR 2 per litre, values far from the peaks recorded in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine: further increases will depend on the evolution and duration of international tensions. This is why we have strengthened Mister Prezzi's monitoring of the entire supply chain, from production to distribution, to prevent the tensions in the Middle East from becoming a pretext for speculation or unjustified price increases, and prepared with Minister Giorgetti an immediate operational plan for intervention by the Guardia di Finanza," said Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.

At the end of the meeting, Urso met with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, for an update on the evolution of the situation and to agree on further actions to counter speculative phenomena, including through an operational plan of intervention by the Guardia di Finanza, which has strengthened controls on the entire supply chain.

"At the moment," added Urso, "there are no speculative phenomena on the Italian petrol station network, apart from about twenty cases already reported by Mister Prezzi and now being examined by the Fiamme Gialle soldiers. Attention is therefore now focusing on the steps upstream in the petrol station chain. We are in the field with this transparency operation, together with all those involved in various ways, to monitor the situation and intervene promptly against all forms of speculation".

During the meeting, the ministry said in a note, it emerged that international quotations for refined products have recorded an overall increase of 10 cents per litre for petrol and 26 cents per litre for diesel over the last four days compared to the close of Friday 27 February. As far as prices at petrol stations are concerned, as of 6 March 2026, the national average values in self-service mode for petrol (1.76 euro per litre) and diesel (1.91 euro per litre) are higher than on Friday 27 February 2026, by 9.2 cents and 18.9 cents per litre respectively.

In the course of the work, it also emerged that, following the increase in the international quotations of refined products, particularly diesel, there were immediate and significant upward adjustments to the price lists recommended by the main oil companies since the first days of March 2026. Increases that, at present, are still not justified by a real shortage of refined product on the market.