Trade unions representing taxi drivers and long-haul truck drivers, who are prohibited by law from raising their rates even when expenses rise, have been pressuring the government to roll back some of what are among Europe's highest fuel taxes to lessen the blow of high oil prices. This is the second time this summer that the government has entertained the possibility of rolling back an environmental measure because of temporary conditions. In June, the Ministry of Environment approved a plan that would relax environmental standards for Italian power companies to allow them to boost output in cases of high.
