The new annual bill on competition, expected to be examined by the Council of Ministers today, aims to revolutionize three key sectors of the Italian economy: fuel distribution, the car insurance sector and telemarketing in telecommunications. The text, which will now have to go through the parliamentary process, has already sparked mixed reactions from consumer associations.
Fuels, more controls and green transition
The draft bill introduces a significant tightening of controls relating to fuel distribution systems, including anti-mafia checks. To obtain authorization for the activity, managers will have to comply with more stringent requirements:
- demonstrate adequate technical-organizational and economic capabilities to guarantee continuity and regularity of the service;
- not having committed fraud or crimes and not being among the recipients of causes for automatic exclusion from public contracts;
- comply with the contribution rules, showing the Single Contribution Regularity Document (Durc);
- apply the national collective labor agreement.
The issuing of the authorization will also be subject to anti-mafia checks. Significant news concerns 2028: from that date, the plants will have to distribute not only petrol and diesel, but also alternative fuels. To accompany this transition, the State will make available 112 million euros in incentives between 2028 and 2030, intended for those who transform their plants into electric charging stations or biofuel distribution points.
Car liability insurance, a delegation to reform the system
On the insurance front, the bill provides for a delegation to the government to intervene in the regulation of motor liability insurance. The main objectives are:
- correlate the cost of the premium to the risk actually assumed by the insurance company;
- make the direct compensation mechanism more efficient;
- strengthen the fight against insurance fraud;
- combat evasion of the insurance obligation.
The review will also concern the bonus/malus system, which will have to be based on greater availability of data and more advanced risk assessment methodologies. The objective is to reward virtuous driving behavior and reduce the weight of indirect variables, such as territorial variables, which today can penalize motorists resident in some areas regardless of their behavior behind the wheel. This should stimulate greater competitiveness between companies, to the benefit of policyholders.
Telemarketing, the squeeze in telecommunications
The bill extends to the telecommunications sector a rule already tested for the energy sector, aimed at limiting unwanted phone calls.
This is a measure that the majority had already attempted to introduce, without success, in previous measures. The amendment had in fact been rejected both during the examination of the tax decree and that on excise duties, because it was considered extraneous to the subject matter of the main text.
Criticism from consumer associations
Not everyone welcomes the draft bill. Codacons declares itself critical, underlining how the text does not deal incisively with the problem of high fuel costs or the mechanism of the so-called “double speed” of price lists, i.e. the speed with which prices rise compared to the slowness with which they fall.
Even the UNC (National Consumers Union) speaks of “steps backwards”. Massimiliano Dona, president of the Union, explains:
With the excuse of giving a dutiful and more than acceptable anti-mafia crackdown in order to open a fuel distribution plant, we move from silent consent to the issuing of express authorization with all the resulting delays, given that the 90 days have never been respected in our country.
The UNC recognizes the crackdown on teleselling as the only positive element. Finally, a negative opinion comes from Federcarrozzieri, who is particularly critical of the delegation relating to car insurance, because he fears that this may “not translate into real benefits for motorists”.
The text will now have to go through the parliamentary process, where substantial changes could emerge compared to the current version.
