The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has officially launched a market study aimed at identifying and assessing potential anti-competitive bottlenecks within the mandatory motor third-party liability insurance (RC Auto) sector. Conducted in close cooperation with the Institute for Insurance Supervision (IVASS) under their existing memorandum of understanding, the joint inquiry seeks to address persistent structural issues that continue to stifle free competition despite various historical legislative and regulatory interventions.
The economic scale of the Italian motor insurance market is substantial, largely driven by the mandatory nature of the coverage and high vehicle density, which translated into an aggregate premium collection of approximately 13.5 billion euros in 2025. The primary objective of this joint initiative is to determine whether the current regulatory and commercial framework harbors hidden barriers to competition that ultimately prevent final consumers from accessing better prices and services, with the ultimate goal of identifying policy corrections to eliminate these hurdles.
The investigation will cast a wide net over several sensitive operational mechanisms, focusing heavily on how risk-allocation systems operate, including the bonus-malus frameworks and merit classes, alongside the execution of direct compensation procedures. Regulators will closely examine the role of telematics and driving-behavior monitoring devices like black boxes, investigating whether current practices lock consumers into specific contracts or act as an obstacle to consumer mobility between competing insurance firms. Furthermore, the study will analyze how overly complex commercial offers and opaque discounting practices alter the market, specifically looking at how these elements might impair the transparency and effectiveness of digital price-comparison tools, including the public platform Preventivass.
To ensure a comprehensive gathering of evidence, the authorities have simultaneously opened a public consultation, till July 31, 2026.
