Brussels criticises Italy's fuel duty cuts amid energy row

The European Commission is preparing to rebuke the Italian government's decision to cut excise duties on fuels, according to Euronews. Brussels argues that Rome's approach—reducing the tax burden on fuel broadly—fails to target energy relief where it is most needed: among vulnerable households and energy-intensive industries struggling with high prices. The criticism is expected to appear in a Commission report due Wednesday.

Italy has sought greater fiscal flexibility from the EU to address the energy crisis that has gripped Europe since 2022, pushing up costs for heating, transport and production. The Italian government's response has been to reduce the excise duties that make up a significant portion of the pump price. Brussels, however, views this as a blunt instrument that benefits all consumers equally rather than concentrating support where hardship is greatest.

For Puglia, the dispute carries particular weight. The region's economy depends heavily on energy-intensive sectors—agriculture, tourism, the Taranto steelworks—and on transport infrastructure that connects the region to northern markets and European ports. How Rome and Brussels resolve this disagreement over fuel taxation will shape the region's industrial competitiveness and the cost of living for ordinary Pugliese.