Acquirente Unico S.p.A. (hereinafter "AU") is 100% controlled by Gestore dei Servizi Energetici - GSE S.p.A. which, in turn, is a company wholly owned by the Italian Ministry of Finance. AU was established pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree no.79 of 16 March 1999, in order to ensure the supply of electricity to eligible customers.
From 1 July 2007, with the completion of the liberalisation of the retail sale of electricity, as a result of Italian law no. 125 of 3 August 2007, all end-users of electricity, and in particular also civilian or domestic users, have the right to freely choose their electricity supplier. In the light of this innovation, AU maintains its role in the energy supply in favor of households and small businesses that did not switch to the open market and are supplied under enhanced protection and safeguards (“mercato tutelato”).
As a result of the energy market evolution, the Company’s activities have been extended with the creation of the Energy Consumers’ Help Desk and the Integrated Information System, both in favor of final customers and the market. Further tasks have been assigned to the Company within the sector of petroleum emergency stocks.
ITALIAN CENTRAL STOCKHOLDING ENTITY
The new modalities of stockholding of national emergency stocks have been established with Legislative Decree no. 249 dated 31 December 2012, implementing EU Directive 2009/119/CE.
As a consequence of the above mentioned decree the Italian Central Stockholding Entity (OCSIT) was formed within AU, to hold a certain amount of oil-related products (namely specific stocks) within Italy starting from the 1st of July 2014. OCSIT operates under the Ministry of Economic Development’s surveillance.
OCSIT is a market-driven, non-profit entity, with the task to manage the stocks of petroleum products within the Italian territory, as well as to manage a stockholding and transport service of emergency and commercial petroleum stocks.