Italian Minister Adolfo Urso pushes fuel price reform amid rising pump costs

On 9 July 2026, Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso met with representatives of the country's major oil companies to review fuel prices and discuss the government's next steps after the recent U.S.–Iran memorandum that revived oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting aimed to assess the impact of the earlier fuel tax cuts, which began on 18 March and have been gradually reduced to a current -6.1 cents per litre, a measure set to expire on 3 July.

Urso announced that a reform of the Italian fuel distribution network is ready for the cabinet, targeting a re‑organisation of service stations, an ecological transition of facilities, tighter controls on illegal activity and stricter opening‑and‑closure criteria. Despite a drop in crude oil prices to about $73 per barrel, pump prices have not fallen in line. Within four days of the tax‑cut expiry, the average diesel price rose by 5.3 cents per litre and gasoline by 4.9 cents, pushing highway diesel above €2 per litre and gasoline around €1.9. The minister also highlighted Italy’s leadership in European industrial raw‑material recycling and called for an EU ban on certain waste‑export shipments.