Translated by Google Translate
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM, better known as the Antitrust Authority) has fined six oil companies €937 million for fixing the selling price of a fuel component, thereby restricting competition and harming end consumers. The six fined companies are Eni (which received a fine of €336 million), Esso (€129 million), Ip (€164 million), Q8 (€173 million), Saras (€44 million), and Tamoil (€91 million). Tamoil was also fined for the behavior of the Italian division of Repsol, which it acquired in 2021.
Specifically, the Antitrust Authority determined that the six companies formed a cartel (as such an agreement is known in the industry) to set the price to be assigned to the biofuel component, one of the various components that make up the final price of fuel, as well as the amount of subsequent increases. By law, those selling gasoline and diesel must also sell a minimum amount of biofuels, which can be blended with gasoline and diesel: the presence of biofuels is a cost component that determines the final price of gasoline and diesel.
The Antitrust Authority found that the cartel began on January 1, 2020, and ended on June 30, 2023: the value of the organic component increased from approximately 20 euros per cubic meter in 2019 to 60 euros per cubic meter in 2023. According to the Antitrust Authority, the cartel was facilitated by the publication of the value of the organic component in various articles in Staffetta Quotidiana , a trade newspaper specializing in energy issues, thanks also to the information sent directly by Eni to the newspaper.