In Italy, the Corriere Della Sera newspaper reports the Antitrust authority has launched an investigation against Eni, Esso Italiana, Saras, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Tamoil Italia (which also owns Repsol Italia), Italiana Petroli and Iplom for allegedly colluding on biofuel prices, implemented through the publication of information on Staffetta Quotidiana. This was announced by Staffetta itself, revealing that the Authority has conducted inspections in its headquarters and in those of the oil companies to ascertain the existence of violations of article 101 of the EU Treaty which regulates commercial practices that prevent, restrict or distort competition. The investigation started by the “Whistleblowing” platform received on March 27, 2023.
After various exchanges with the whistleblower, the last of which on April 5, 2023, it was possible to reconstruct the conduct reported, consisting, according to the complainant, in an agreement concerning the cost component deriving from the biofuel blending obligations in automotive fuel («bio component»), which would be reversed at the same price to all market operators regardless of the cost actually incurred by each oil company. According to the whistleblower – reads the resolution to initiate the investigation – the practice would have occurred constantly in recent years and would have been carried out through a system of public announcements by the oil companies that took place in “La Staffetta Quotidiana”, initiated by Eni in January 2020.
