Assocarta has raised concerns over the competitiveness of Italian paper mills following the sharp increase in natural gas prices, with gas trading at around €65.50–66.40/MWh on the Amsterdam market and the spread between Italy’s PSV and the Dutch TTF reaching approximately €4/MWh.
According to Assocarta President Lorenzo Poli, the latest increase in gas prices, which followed further rises during the previous week, was being driven by escalating military tensions in the Persian Gulf and disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. “We are deeply concerned about the competitiveness of Italian paper mills following the surge in natural gas prices, currently quoted at around €65.50–66.40/MWh on the Amsterdam exchange, with a further increase compared with last week, supported by the military escalation in the Persian Gulf and the disruption of maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Poli said.
Energy costs have long represented a key competitiveness issue for Italy’s energy-intensive paper industry, with Assocarta repeatedly calling for measures to reduce energy prices and support the sector’s industrial competitiveness.
Assocarta calls for implementation of the Energy Bills Decree from October
“In this context, the differential between TTF and PSV, which has reached around €4/MWh, is unsustainable,” Poli said, adding that “in 2025 alone, the differential cost paper mills €60 million.” Assocarta welcomed the timely launch by Italian energy regulator ARERA of consultations to implement the provisions contained in the Energy Bills Decree (DL Bollette), in which the association participated as a representative of an industrial sector particularly exposed to energy costs and, specifically, natural gas prices.
The association called for the measure provided for under Article 10 of the decree, already submitted to consultation by ARERA, to be implemented rapidly and become operational from 1 October 2026, in line with the timetable indicated in the consultation.
“At this point, the implementation of the measure provided for by Article 10 of the Energy Bills Decree, which has already been submitted to consultation by ARERA, needs to proceed rapidly so that it can take effect from 1 October 2026, as indicated in the consultation,” Poli said. He added that the price differential between the Italian gas market and Northern European markets had become increasingly difficult for the industry to sustain, particularly against the backdrop of the current pressure on gas prices.
“The unjustified price differential between the Italian market and Northern Europe, aggravated by the current situation of strong pressure on gas prices, is now intolerable. We hope that the regulatory framework for implementing the liquidity service can be completed very quickly, allowing the first auctions for the service to be organised as early as September,” Poli concluded.
