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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure IT-2022-13/2886 Updated – measures in Italy

Cut in gasoline excise duty

Taglio delle accise sulla benzina

Country Italy , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 22 March 2022 – 31 December 2022
Context War in Ukraine, Cost of Living Crisis
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future
– Support for fuel expenses
Author Alessandro Smilari (Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini)
Measure added 14 September 2022 (updated 12 March 2023)

Background information

In the face of the international price increase since the winter of 2021, the Energy Decree (legislative decree n.30 of 18 March 2022) made this measure operative from 22 March to 20 April 2022. This deadline had already been postponed twice, first to 2 May, then to 8 July. The deadlines had been set respectively by the Interministerial Decree of 6 April 2022 and the new Decree Cutting Excise Duty approved on 2 May 2022.

Subsequently, with the Interministerial Decree signed on 24 June 2022, the new deadline for the cut had been set at 2 August and, then, with the Interministerial Decree signed on 19 July 2022, came the extension to 21 August. Subsequently, the Aid Decree Bis (Decree-Law No. 115 of 9 August 2022) moved the deadline to 20 September 2022, this before the date of 17 October set by the Inter-Ministerial Decree of 13 September 2022 announced in a joint note of the Ministries of Finance and Ecological Transition.

Content of measure

Excise duties are taxes levied on petrol, diesel, LPG and methane, to meet cash requirements. This measure deals precisely:

  • a discount of 25 cents per litre on the price of petrol and diesel to which VAT must be added, resulting in a saving of 30.5 cents
  • a discount of 8.5 cents per litre on the price of LPG which, when added to VAT, results in a saving of 10.5 cents in total.

For the measure, a total of €2,326.47 million has been allocated by the final text of the 2 May 2022 Excise Cut Decree:

  • €2,326.47 million for the year 2022;
  • €107.25 million for the year 2024.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

18 November 2022

The 'Aiuti Quater' decree (decree number 176/2022) extended the fuel price discount until 31 December 2022. The measure confirms the existing discount. At the end of the period, the discount was not renewed.

Use of measure

No data available.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Informed Informed
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

According to Codacons, a consumer protection association, "merely extending the excise discount is not enough. Despite the reduction in excise duties already in force since March, today a litre of petrol costs 13.4 % more than in the same period in 2021, while diesel has risen by 22.6% year-on-year."

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      D - Electricity, Gas, Steam And Air Conditioning Supply D35 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 05 August 2022: Dl Aiuti Bis: interventi da 17 mld per contrastare l’inflazione. Ecco le misure contro il caro bollette (www.finanza.com)
  • 14 September 2022: Fuel: how the petrol excise cut works and how much you save (www.ticonsiglio.com)
  • 22 November 2022: Caro benzina: taglio delle accise prorogato al 31 dicembre, ma lo sconto potrebbe essere ridotto (www.informazionefiscale.it)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Cut in gasoline excise duty, measure IT-2022-13/2886 (measures in Italy), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/IT-2022-13_2886.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.