Premier Giorgia Meloni met with Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti at Palazzo Chigi to discuss the surge in fuel prices. According to sources from the Presidency of the Council, the government is working on the issue and examining possible initiatives, including the activation of the mobile excise duty mechanism. Additional meetings are expected in the coming days.

The meeting follows a sharp rise in fuel prices that accelerated after the expiration, on July 3, of the last excise cut, which had been introduced in March and gradually reduced from 20 to 10 to 5 cents per liter. The measures had cost several hundred million euros in public resources.

According to data from the Mimit Observatory, the national average self-service price along the road network stands at approximately 1.968 euros per liter for petrol and 2.161 for diesel, with peaks exceeding 2.6 euros per liter recorded at some stations in Milan. On highways, the average self-service price reaches 2.069 euros for petrol and 2.249 for diesel. Diesel has surpassed the record levels of March 2022, while the price of Brent crude oil has approached 100 dollars per barrel.

The mobile excise mechanism, introduced by the Prodi government in 2008 and reformed by the Meloni government in 2023, uses the additional VAT revenue generated by rising fuel prices to temporarily reduce excise duties. According to estimates, however, the discount achievable through this instrument would be limited to approximately 6 to 10 cents per liter and would be delayed, since VAT revenue must first be collected. The government is also reportedly considering a bonus for commuters, though no final decision has been made.

The European Union has indicated that there are currently no supply problems but that an impact could materialize going forward.

The consumers association Codacons has estimated that Italians will spend nearly 2 billion euros more on fuel in July and August alone, calculating that a diesel fill-up costs about 14 euros more than on July 3, while a petrol fill-up costs about 8 euros more. The trade association Cna has estimated an additional burden of approximately 850 million euros in the first weeks of July.

The opposition has criticized the government for the lack of concrete measures. PD secretary Elly Schlein called for urgent intervention and the immediate reactivation of mobile excise duties, stating that the government has focused on other priorities. M5S deputy Chiara Appendino criticized Minister of Enterprise Adolfo Urso, who acknowledged the need to act while arguing that fuel prices have risen less in Italy than in other countries. AVS deputy Angelo Bonelli called for taxing oil company windfall profits rather than using public funds to lower prices.

The Italian Federation of Haulers (Fai) has expressed opposition to the mobile excise duty, arguing it would penalize the transport sector and offset the resources allocated following a recent agreement with the government.