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The consumer associations Adiconsum, Adoc, Adusbef, Assoutenti, Casa del consumer, 
Cittadinanzattiva, Codacons, Codes, Confconsumatori, Ctcu, Federconsumatori, Consumer League, Citizen Defense Movement, Consumer Movement, Udicon, Association of Radio and Television Users, have called for the next October 18 a national assembly of consumers, open to trade unions, businesses and social forces, to discuss the issues of the inflation emergency and propose shared solutions to bring down prices and bills.
The associations ask workers' unions, category organizations in agriculture, industry and handicrafts, commerce and cooperation and other organized voluntary, environmental, cultural, student, etc. social forces to unite with consumers to give life to the most appropriate common actions and arrive at shared proposals, in order to push the Government to adopt effective measures to combat inflation and the speculations that heavily influence its course, to face the energy emergency and to carry out structural reforms regarding the protection of citizens.
In this sense, they organized a national assembly of all their cadres and militants for the morning of next Tuesday 18 October, starting at 10, which will be open to the other invited parties and which can be followed in streaming on the websites and social channels of the promoting organizations and through the platform Zoom at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4IGZ6ExWTPmfhw2FQiWIww
“We are convinced that the scheduled national assembly represents a great opportunity for participation and discussion for all citizens: consumer associations, in fact, are a necessary "hinge" to bring institutions closer to citizens and grasp the real needs of society”, comments the president of Confconsumatori Mara Colla. “We will discuss concrete proposals to support families and businesses, to be presented to the Government to deal with the energy crisis we are going through”.
Between measures which the associations deem indispensable and which will be discussed during the event on 18 October, before being presented to the new government, find space for:
– suspension of electricity and gas disconnections, agreements for long installments of bills, with public guarantee, and special conciliation procedure at Arera;
– definition of cases of innocent arrears, extension of access thresholds and amounts of social bonuses for electricity and gas;
– stricter temporary ban on unilateral changes to energy contracts, including renewals and terminations;
– measures to combat speculation and excessive market volatility, decoupling the formation of electricity and gas prices and setting the values for the protected regimes according to the weighted average of the costs of
procurement and production from different sources, consequently establishing a maximum price fluctuation threshold on the free market;
– reform of general system charges, shifting most of them to general taxation and relieving them from VAT;
– establishment of the Register of energy suppliers, with stringent accreditation requirements;
– no VAT on excise duties on fuel, setting the load to the European average, and VAT sterilization on raw materials not exceeding the value of excise duties, further extending the cut by at least 30 cents/litre;
– remodeling of VAT rates on food and consumer goods, reducing them to zero on essential foods and products, including pellets;
– full deductibility of travel documents for commuter workers and students, strong discounts and free access to some services and supplies, such as canteens and school books;
– strengthening of the powers of the price supervisory authority and establishment of Territorial Observatories, participated by the AACC;
– rules to support the development of renewable energy communities and the establishment of the Fund to fight rampant energy poverty;
– super-taxation of extra profits made in financial and energy activities;
– opening of permanent social dialogue also with consumer and user associations.
These are the most urgent demands, together with other proposals that may arise from the large online National Assembly on 18 October, which consumer associations are now bringing to the attention of the Government and on which they are asking to open discussions on the merits. But, in the absence of this and of adequate measures to contrast the energy emergency and the inflationary spiral, they are ready to promote further and more incisive forms of general mobilisation, even in the streets, as they already did last June with the "Protest of empty pots” and then with numerous other well-attended initiatives in the main Italian cities.
