Legislative Decree No. 164/2000

Legislative Decree No. 164/2000 imposed thresholds to operators until December 31, 2010 in relation to a percentage share of domestic consumption set as follows:

75%, from 1 January 2002, for imported or domestically produced natural gas volumes input in the domestic transmission network destined to sales; this percentage decreases by 2 percentage points per year until it reaches 61% in 2009;
50% from 1 January 2003 for sales to final customers.
These ceilings are calculated net of volumes consumed in operations and in the case of sales also net of losses. The decree also provides for periodic controls of the respect of said ceilings. This control is performed each year by the Italian Antitrust Authority by comparing the allowed three-year average percentage share of domestic consumption for both input volumes and sales volumes with the one actually achieved by each operator.

In particular, 2006 closes the third three-year regulated period for natural gas volumes input in the domestic transmission network, for which the allowed percentage is 69% of domestic consumption of natural the gas, and the second three-year regulated period for sales volumes. Eni's presence on the Italian market complied with said limits.