Overview
- The ministerial decree notified to the EU on 15 April is due to come into force on 15 July unless Brussels files formal objections during the three‑month review window.
- Under the text, producers and distributors must send a standardized communication to retailers listing any reduction in quantity and the share of the price change caused by that cut, and retailers must make this information available at point of sale or online.
- The government shortened the required consumer‑information period from six months to three months, counted from the date a product with reduced quantity or a new formulation is marketed.
- The rules exempt cases where a smaller size is paired with formulation changes that improve product performance or keep overall consumer value unchanged.
- Consumer group Codacons cautions the measure leaves key gaps: Italy’s statistics office does not separately track shrinkflation, the real household cost is unclear, and watchdogs warn of parallel risks from quality cuts known as skimpflation.