Overview
- The decree lowers excise by 20 cents per litre plus a VAT effect of about 4.4 cents for roughly 20 days to early April, funded largely by €527.4 million in ministry reallocations with added credits for haulage and fishing.
- Ministry monitoring shows about 60% of stations reduced prices, roughly 28% left them unchanged and 11.4% increased them, leading Mister Prezzi to send non‑compliance lists to the Guardia di Finanza for checks and possible Antitrust or judicial action.
- Average pump reductions are around 14–15 cents per litre nationwide, well short of the theoretical 24.4 cents, with motorway prices staying higher than on ordinary roads.
- Major fuel companies including Eni, IP, Q8 and Tamoil cut recommended lists by the full 24.4 cents, but real‑world pass‑through remains uneven by region and outlet.
- Rising international energy prices tied to Middle East tensions, with Brent near $112 a barrel, risk eroding the tax cut’s benefit as diesel‑dependent transport operators report persistent cost strain.