The Antitrust has given the go-ahead for the 24-hour opening of petrol stations. This was reiterated by the Competition and Market Authority itself, with a clear and peremptory statement: "The roadside petrol stations they can remain in operation 24 hours a day, with no obligatory timetables opening and closing. And the municipal and regional regulations that limit the free initiative of the operators must adapt to these indications".
The decision relates to legislation passed in 2012, which removed all constraints that "prevent, limit or condition the offer of products and services to the consumer, over time, space or methods, or alter the conditions of full competition between economic operators". The Antitrust therefore underlines that in this way the availability of the product is ensured - albeit in self-service mode - at practically all the fuel distribution plants existing on the national road network, at any time of day or night and every day. of the year, weekdays and holidays".
The time restrictions therefore represent “a severe restriction on the offer of services”. In practice, the position taken by the Antitrust considers local regulations that in some way limit the possibility of operating service pumps as illegitimate.
