MILAN. The price increases at the petrol station do not stop and Italy is now the country in the euro area where it costs the most to make petrol and diesel. This is what emerges from the European Commission’s surveys which are published every Thursday. The latest analysis, dated 2 January, shows that the price of petrol in our country, which is recorded at 1.83 euros per litre, is the highest in the standings, behind only Denmark (1.94 euros per liter ) and Greece (1.85 euros per litre) which in the meantime, following the Italian price increases in recent days, have been surpassed. None of the countries analyzed shows levels above 2 euros per liter as has been recorded in recent days in some stations in Italy.
Italy also dominates the price ranking for diesel. Here, diesel refueling costs 1.89 euros per liter (this is last Thursday’s figure, again according to the Commission’s findings). Only Sweden is more expensive (2.15 euros per litre).
But how much do petrol and diesel cost in other euro area countries? In Germany, petrol costs 1.74 euros per litre, while diesel costs 1.85. In France, petrol costs 1.69 euros per litre, while diesel costs 1.77 euros per litre. In Spain the level is 1.55 euros per liter for petrol and 1.66 euros per liter for diesel. Refueling in Belgium is also almost on the same level (1.69 euros per liter and 1.76 euros per liter for diesel).
Some countries bordering Italy such as Austria (1.49 euro per liter for petrol and 1.69 euro per liter for diesel) stand out due to their low price levels, but above all Slovenia (1.27 euro per liter for petrol and 1.51 euro per liter for diesel). These are very convenient prices, so much so that at the border petrol stations in these countries you see queues at the petrol stations again from those Italian motorists who wish to save a little on fuel.
Today the Ministry of the Environment released data on fuels “which confirm the total misalignment between petrol and diesel prices and oil prices, with pump price lists which, net of the increase in excise duties, do not drop as much as they should” says Assoutenti , which calls for urgent intervention by the Government while the Antitrust intervenes on the issue of fuel prices and requests documentation from the Guardia di Finanza to evaluate unfair commercial practices towards consumers and violations of competition.
«There are oddities in the formation of the price of petrol at the distributors which, as for gas, indicate the presence of speculative phenomena that keep the price lists high at the pump – explains the president Furio Truzzi – The increase in excise duties that started on 1 January has been archived , in the following days the prices of petrol and diesel, net of the tax component, should have followed the trend of oil and gone down, but on the contrary they went up». «Added to this situation is abnormal taxation, which brings Italy to first place in Europe for taxes on diesel, a factor for which the Government must account to the citizens – continues Truzzi – Awaiting the findings of the judiciary and the Guardia di Finanza , today we ask Premier Meloni to activate a moral suasion on the oil companies operating in Italy, so that any misalignment between oil prices and petrol and diesel prices at the pump is eliminated”.