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Italy’s Council of Ministers has approved new measures aimed at road-freight operators facing higher diesel costs, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport said on October 22. The ministry described the package as focused particularly on small businesses and owner-operators, which it said have less room to absorb cost increases. The measures combine diesel tax-credit resources for two separate expense periods with an option to suspend certain vehicle-lease payments. The announcement reports approvals, not the amount ultimately received by any individual company.
For diesel expenses incurred from March through August 2026, the government allocated an additional €45.2 million to the tax credit. The ministry said this amount supplements €21.2 million already provided under a previous decree. It separately allocated €60 million for expenses incurred between September 1 and October 5, 2026. These allocations relate to different purchase periods; they should not be combined as if they covered the same invoices or treated as a per-operator payment. The release does not state each business’s eventual credit amount.
The second measure concerns vehicle leasing. Eligible operators may suspend lease instalments falling due between November 2026 and March 2027, with suspension available through March 31, 2027. The ministry framed the option as a way to ease financial pressure on businesses. It is a payment suspension, not a cancellation of the lease obligation or a cash grant, and the announcement does not describe it as automatic for every freight company. Eligibility and individual contracts remain relevant.
The ministry said the measures followed discussions with sector associations led by Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini and Deputy Minister Edoardo Rixi. Its stated objective is to address the burden of expensive diesel and liquidity constraints, especially among smaller operators. The release presents this as support for continuity of road-freight activity and jobs that move goods through Italian supply chains. It does not provide a quantified estimate of total sector costs, firms eligible, applications, or expected savings.
The separation of the two fuel windows matters for interpreting the announcement. The €45.2 million concerns March–August fuel costs and supplements an earlier allocation; the €60 million concerns September 1–October 5 costs. Both are public funding ceilings announced by the government, not evidence that all funds have been claimed, approved for specific applicants, or paid. The ministry’s notice does not detail a final distribution or award list for the newly announced amounts.
The lease option is also time-bounded: it applies to eligible instalments due from November 2026 through March 2027 and allows suspension only until March 31, 2027. The measure changes payment timing rather than establishing permanent debt relief. The ministry’s October 22 notice records a Cabinet decision and the broad terms of the package. It should not be read as proof that every carrier qualifies or that a credit has already reached firms; company-level access depends on applicable rules and procedures.