Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ROME / NATIONAL – The Cabinet has approved two major economic and regulatory measures: a new decree-law on “urgent provisions to reduce the cost of electricity and gas” and the “Infrastructure Decree-Law”.
The measures aim to curb the impact of energy inflation on households and businesses, speed up public-private partnership investments and strengthen housing support for vulnerable groups.
Energy decree: thermoelectric rebate and €15/MWh cut
The energy decree, finalised after lengthy talks with the European Commission and developed with ARERA and GME (the energy market operator), introduces an extraordinary price cap mechanism. The measure provides a partial rebate on the cost of natural gas used for thermoelectric generation, neutralising the effect of the raw material on the final price of electricity.
The Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, outlined the effects:
“With the decree approved today we complete the Energy Decree process. From January, overall the measures will deliver an average cut of about €15 per megawatt hour. It is a first concrete step to support our country, consumers and the productive sector in an international context marked by strong geopolitical tensions.”
Infrastructure decree: end to pre-emption in public-private partnerships
At the same time, the Cabinet gave the green light to the decree-law from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), led by Matteo Salvini. The text aligns project finance rules with EU directives, replacing article 193 of the Public Contracts Code.
The reform scraps the pre-emption right mechanism in public-private partnership tenders (from public lighting to energy efficiency), introducing transitional rules to safeguard ongoing procedures and ensure continuity for municipal construction sites.
Housing: more resources for separated parents: €50 million in 2027
The Infrastructure Decree also includes a measure with high social impact. At Salvini’s urging, the budget for the Housing Support Fund for Separated or Divorced Parents is increased by €30 million for 2027, rising from €20 million to €50 million in total.
The grant targets non-custodial parents with dependent children up to the age of 21, addressing the surge in applications recorded during 2026 and providing a concrete response to the housing hardship caused by the break-up of the family unit.
