In brief: this glossary collects the technical and regulatory terms that recur in the energy products, excise duty and fiscal warehousing sector. Each entry opens with a concise definition, designed for quick reference and to answer the questions of operators, traders and purchasing departments. The definitions are for information purposes, are aligned with the general regulatory framework and replace neither the applicable legislation nor specialist advice. The entries are listed in alphabetical order.
P.S.P. Passerini Special Products operates an ADM-authorised fiscal warehouse in Northern Italy and supports B2B customers with storage, blending and related compliance. Overview of the activities: Services.
ADM (Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency)
ADM is the Italian public authority that administers customs, excise duties and monopolies. It authorises and supervises fiscal warehouses and oversees compliance for fuels and energy products.
It issues warehouse authorisations, assigns excise codes and monitors registers and electronic movements. It is the institutional counterpart of every operator that holds or moves products subject to excise duty.
ATECO 19.20.9
Code of the ISTAT classification of economic activities (ATECO) referring to the manufacture of other refined petroleum products and derivatives.
It typically classifies businesses that produce and blend energy products. The ATECO classification has been updated (2025 edition): the exact figure and its description must be confirmed on the operator’s current company registration certificate (visura camerale).
Duty suspension arrangement
The duty suspension arrangement is the fiscal regime under which excise duty is suspended: the product is manufactured, held and moved without the tax being yet chargeable, as long as it remains within the network of authorised warehouses.
Excise duty becomes chargeable on release for consumption. The arrangement allows operators not to tie up capital in taxes during storage and the logistics phase, a significant advantage for traders and distributors.
e-AD / e-DAS
These are the electronic documents that accompany the movement of products subject to excise duty. The e-AD (electronic administrative document) covers movements under duty suspension through the EMCS system; the e-DAS is the simplified accompanying document in electronic form for products already released for consumption.
Each e-AD is associated with an identification code (ARC) that allows it to be tracked until discharge. Digitalisation has progressively replaced paper documents, standardising data exchange with the administration.
Excise duty
Excise duty is an indirect tax levied on the manufacture and consumption of certain products, including energy products (fuels). In Italy it is governed by Legislative Decree 504/1995 (TUA).
The tax is due at the time of release for consumption and is assessed per product according to rates set by law and updated periodically. As long as the product remains in an authorised warehouse under duty suspension, the excise duty is not yet chargeable. Management and collection fall to ADM.
Explosives precursors (Reg. (EU) 2019/1148)
Explosives precursors are chemical substances that, because of their properties, could be misused to manufacture explosives. Regulation (EU) 2019/1148 governs their placing on the market, possession and use.
The regulation distinguishes restricted substances from those subject to reporting obligations, with duties on economic operators. Supply is permitted between professional operators (B2B) in compliance with the legal conditions; some products may not be supplied to private individuals.
FAME / biodiesel
FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) is the biodiesel obtained by transesterification of vegetable or animal oils and fats. As an automotive fuel it complies with the EN 14214 standard.
It is used pure or blended with diesel. It is a renewable biofuel; the sustainability requirements of the supply chain are attested by the suppliers’ certifications, not by the individual warehouse.
Fiscal warehouse
A fiscal warehouse is a facility authorised by ADM in which products subject to excise duty may be manufactured, processed, held and moved under an excise duty suspension arrangement.
It allows fuels and energy products to be held without the excise duty being immediately chargeable, providing a financial benefit for the operator. The holder is responsible for the registers, the accounting and physical reconciliations and the obligations towards ADM.
HVO
HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a paraffinic diesel of renewable origin produced by hydrotreating oils and fats. It complies with the EN 15940 standard on paraffinic fuels.
Unlike FAME it is a paraffinic hydrocarbon and not an ester: it is used pure or blended and has good combustion characteristics, including a high cetane number. B2B insight: HVO and B2B biofuels.
Release for consumption
Release for consumption is the moment when a product leaves the duty suspension arrangement and excise duty becomes chargeable.
It includes, among the other cases identified by the TUA, the removal of the product from the fiscal warehouse towards the market. From that moment the person liable must pay the tax according to the deadlines set by the legislation.
SEED (System for Exchange of Excise Data)
SEED is the European database of operators authorised in excise matters. It allows the validity of the excise codes of warehouses and operators registered in the Member States of the European Union to be verified.
It is the reference tool for confirming that a counterparty is actually authorised to operate under duty suspension. The current status of an authorisation is validated against the register, not against the paper document alone.
Third-party fiscal warehousing
Third-party fiscal warehousing is the operating model in which an authorised warehousekeeper stores and moves energy products owned by another party, without purchasing them.
The owner retains title to the goods; the warehousekeeper manages storage, electronic movements and fiscal compliance for a service fee. It is the typical solution for traders and importers, including foreign ones, who wish to operate in Italy without building their own facility. In depth: Third-party fiscal deposit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between e-AD and e-DAS?
The e-AD accompanies products moving under an excise duty suspension arrangement (tax not yet chargeable) through the EMCS system. The e-DAS, instead, accompanies in electronic form products already released for consumption. What changes is therefore the fiscal regime of the product and the purpose of the document.
Who pays the excise duty and when?
Excise duty becomes chargeable on release for consumption. The person liable for payment is identified by the legislation (TUA); in third-party warehousing the arrangement between the warehousekeeper and the owner of the goods is defined contractually, typically through a mandate. Rates and amounts are not reported in this glossary because they vary.
Are HVO and biodiesel (FAME) the same thing?
No. Both are renewable biofuels, but HVO is a paraffinic diesel (hydrocarbon) compliant with the EN 15940 standard, whereas FAME is a methyl ester compliant with the EN 14214 standard. They differ in production process, chemical characteristics and use.
Do you need an authorised warehousekeeper or a B2B supplier of energy products? Request information · www.pspsrl.com · info@pspsrl.com · +39 0384 253320
Related links: Services · Third-party fiscal deposit · HVO and B2B biofuels.