The Italian government will tax the bottling of water for 1 Eurocent per 10 bottles of bottled water to be poured into a "Charity Fund", report Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera. The Fund will be run by the Italian Ministers Council Presidency to finance water projects in both Southern Italy and developing countries.

Italy is the largest bottled water consumer in Western Europe, with total volume sales of 10,653.7 million litres in 2004. At 183.6 litres per person, Italy also boasts the highest bottled water consumption in the world. [1]

[1] Beverage Marketing Corporation / CBC News, 26 Sep 2006

Source: World Bank Press Review, 6 Dec 2006

Tags: policies & legislation, water distribution