Among the amendments there is a new attempt to combat unwanted advertising calls: several parliamentarians from the majority have in fact proposed to expand the restrictions currently envisaged for the telephone sale of contracts relating to electricity and gas supplies.
Two amendments signed by Lega and Forza Italia ask for action on the Consumer Code, introducing the blocking of commercial telephone communications, including messages, aimed at proposing or concluding contracts of any kind. Other legislative initiatives, supported by Lega, Fratelli d'Italia and Italia Viva, instead provide for a more limited solution, extending the ban also to the telecommunications sector.
Shorter times to receive telephone assistance and obtain a resolution to complaints submitted by consumers. This is what an amendment by Fratelli d'Italia to the competition law provides, which aims to introduce precise deadlines for companies. In particular, telephone assistance services should ensure contact with a human operator within 150 seconds of the start of the call, avoiding prolonged waits for users. The proposal also establishes a maximum deadline of 30 working days within which companies would be obliged to resolve complaints and requests for assistance.
Eliminate the constraints that prevent traders from offering offers and discounts on products in the period preceding seasonal sales: this is one of the most present themes among the amendments of the various political parties. The changes aim to allow commercial businesses to organize promotional initiatives without having to respect particular time intervals. Supporting the proposal are parliamentarians from the League and the 5 Star Movement, together with Luigi Marattin from the Misto group and Fabrizio Benzoni from Azione. However, liberalization does not convince the Italian Fashion Federation-Confcommercio, according to which the elimination of restrictions would risk creating confusion among consumers, without guaranteeing balanced conditions of competition between small shops and large distribution groups.
Among the new features there is also a further year of continuation in the service with gradual protections for domestic customers affected by the transitional electricity regime. The extension from 31 March 2027 to 31 March 2028, proposed by the rapporteurs, would concern all domestic users involved, including vulnerable ones, with the aim of encouraging the transition to the free market in a phase still characterized by the instability of energy prices. Consumers would still retain the possibility of signing a contract on the free market at any time, without having to wait for the new deadline.
Allow customers to take home food and drinks purchased at the restaurant but not consumed, expressly recognizing this possibility as a right. The measure, initially foreseen in a preliminary version of the Competition bill and subsequently excluded from the text approved by the Council of Ministers, is proposed again by the League through an amendment signed by Andreuzza, Di Mattina and Toccalini. The amendment asks restaurateurs and other businesses that serve food and drinks to facilitate the removal of products already paid for, compatibly with the organizational needs of the activities and with hygiene and health obligations. The aim is to reduce food waste, encouraging more sustainable behaviours.
Greater autonomy for Municipalities to preserve the identity of the most characteristic areas of the city and counteract the deterioration of the commercial fabric. This is the objective of a proposal from the League, which provides for the possibility for local administrations to identify specific areas of historic centers in which to introduce special provisions for commercial establishments. The restrictions would aim to avoid phenomena of degradation and neglect, safeguarding the traditional value of the neighborhoods and promoting the protection of artisan activities. Administrations could therefore establish differentiated requirements for companies present in the affected areas.
Among the amendments to the bill there is also an intervention by the League relating to the costs linked to the use of frequencies and the electromagnetic spectrum. The proposal aims to double the duration of the exemption from the payment of contributions required for their use, bringing it from the current five years to ten. If approved, the provision would allow interested parties to benefit from a longer period without the economic burdens contemplated by current legislation.
There are 23 amendments to the bill presented by Fabrizio Benzoni, Action deputy, in the Productive Activities Commission of the Chamber. The proposals aim to reduce obstacles to the competitiveness of businesses, starting with trade, with measures to rebalance the relationship between traditional shops and online platforms. In addition to reviewing the constraints on promotional sales, the aim is to simplify the procedures for changing the categories of products marketed. For the distribution of fuels, Benzoni proposes uniform criteria for issuing authorizations and more streamlined rules for transferring plants. In the energy sector, the interventions concern the strengthening of electric charging infrastructure, investments and greater transparency of bills. Other changes aim to strengthen Antitrust tools against abuses of economic power, especially in markets characterized by the control of strategic data and infrastructures. The package is completed by a review of the regulation of data processing centers active in personnel management and a reform of compensation for private copying, to make the distribution of resources to rights holders more equitable.
