Codacons has filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Offices of Cagliari, Nuoro, Oristano and Sassari against "possible cases of fraudulent price increases and speculative maneuvers on goods", adopted with the justification of the ongoing war in the Middle East .
A complaint filed not only in Sardinia, but also in other regions, is aimed at prompting criminal investigations to determine whether retail prices in various sectors are being speculatively exploited, exploiting the international crisis "to artificially increase price lists, thereby harming consumers."
"The current geopolitical crises and tensions in energy markets," explains Codacons, "represent moments of particular fragility for the global economic balance. When these dynamics involve essential goods—such as energy, fuel, agricultural products, food, and industrial raw materials —the impact directly affects citizens' daily lives, the purchasing power of families, and the balance of the entire economic system. In recent days," the association continues, "we have reported a significant increase in prices across multiple production chains, including energy, agriculture, food, and industry. An increase of this magnitude would have extremely significant economic effects."
These increases would not only affect fuel. "Some observers," Codacons continues, "in the agri-food sector have in fact warned of the risk of price increases for fertilizers, agricultural raw materials, and food products, with a consequent increase in consumer prices . Rising fuel costs are already impacting food prices, with increases reported for various categories of fruit and vegetables."
Furthermore, "further signs of potential speculative tensions also appear to be emerging in the industrial sector: some suppliers of plastic materials used to produce mineral water bottles have reportedly requested increases of up to 30% in plastic prices, with increases estimated between $200 and $250 per ton . These increases, according to industry operators themselves, were justified by geopolitical tensions and potential disruptions to energy supplies, a circumstance that, however, deserves careful scrutiny in terms of its true impact on production costs."
Price increases were also reported, involving "copper, with a leap of nearly 40%, iron and aluminum profiles with price increases of 20%. The construction sector then suffered increases of 18% for bituminous conglomerate (compared to a 12% increase in the futures on the Shanghai Stock Exchange) and membranes, +10% for concrete . In the mechanical engineering sector, some plastics suffered increases of 30%. Wood has also begun to feel the tension, with price increases of between 10 and 15%.
For these reasons, Codacons has asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to initiate investigations within their jurisdiction to verify the dynamics of price formation and the potential for criminal conduct , with particular reference to the offences set forth in Articles 501-bis of the Criminal Code and 501 of the Criminal Code, as well as any other criminal offences that may emerge from the investigations. The investigations should be delegated to the Guardia di Finanza and other competent judicial police bodies, including through the acquisition of documentation relating to price lists, procurement costs, and price formation dynamics at various stages of the economic chain.
(Unioneonline)
