With the hearings of Q8, Api and Saras, the fact-finding investigation concerning the crisis in the refining sector in Italy continues in the Productive Activities Committee of the Chamber. In fact, since 2009, this sector has been going through a serious crisis caused by multiple factors that have led to a generalized drop in fuel consumption and a drastic reduction in exports, especially to the United States.
The objective of the fact-finding investigation – the duration of which has been estimated at four months – is to deepen the analysis of the refining sector as a significant sector of the industrial system of our country and of its entire economy due to the close interdependencies that link the refining itself to multiple production sectors.
The purpose of the survey is also to evaluate the need for legislative interventions "which - it was noted - cannot do without a greater awareness of the strategic importance of the refining sector for the purposes of the country's energy security, nor from a profound and concrete analysis of the possible employment and social impacts of any closures given the large number of employees, directly and indirectly, in the sector and their high degree of technical and professional qualification".
After all, the closure of the Tamoil refinery in Cremona (while 3 or 4 other refining plants risk closure in the short term) represents the most evident consequence of the crisis scenario.
