The energy crisis has made it necessary for the government and European institutions to take an urgent intervention to safeguard Italy's paper industry's competitiveness, continuity of production, and employment. An increase in natural gas prices has led to a loss of competitiveness in papermaking, with imports from Asia exceeding 31% of Italy's market share.

This has led to an increase in authorized hours of integrated cash registers up to seven million, with Inps bearing approximately 58 million euros worth of expenses. Additionally, labor unions SLC-CGI, FISTEL-CISL, UIL-FPC, and UGL-Chemical have appealed to the government and European institutions for urgent and structural interventions aimed at preserving Italian paper industry competitiveness, continuity of production, and employment.

The rise in Asian imports into Italy's paper market (including tissue products) exceeding 31% in the first half of 2026 highlights the risk that energy price differentials could lead to sustained market share losses for national enterprises. The Italian paper industry produces annually about eight million tons of output and generates nearly 8 billion euros in revenue, employing over 18,700 people.

With 114 textile enterprises: it is a national sector that encompasses transformation, printing, and connected technologies for a total value of over 26 billion euros and approximately 162 thousand workers. The Italian textile industry faces competitiveness issues, weak demand, and increasing competitive pressure from Asian productions supported by structural oversupply and public support.

These economic conditions are already causing various factories to slow down or temporarily suspend production, resorting even to social amortization.

Italian railway industry has produced a document that synthesizes all the criticisms starting from the price of natural gas, which rose from €35 to over €80 per megawatt hour this year: 'A trend that could lead to an annual bill for gas consumption exceeding 8 billion euros and energy costs reaching up to 20% or more.'

In response to these disadvantages, Assocata and trade unions have stated that worsening economic conditions are already inducing different companies to slow down or temporarily stop production, resorting also to social amortization: they estimate a growth in authorized cash integration hours by 7 million in 2026.

One for Inps is approximately €58 million.

The effects of these measures will also reach the industry sector, Italy's paper industry finds itself in a critical situation and urgently requires urgent and structural interventions from the government and European institutions to safeguard the competitiveness, continuity of production, and employment in Italy's paper industry.