(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JAN 13 - For 10,000 kilometres, an Italian driver spends €533 in excise duties and taxes. Italy has the highest diesel prices in the EU, with excise duties and taxes accounting for 59% of the total cost at the pump. Without excise duties and taxes, Italian prices would be the third lowest on the continent. This is according to the web portal Facile.it survey conducted on European Commission data updated to January 5th following the realignment of fuel excise duties, with a 4.05 euro cent increase in the price of diesel and a similar decrease in that of gasoline. Considering an average diesel price of €1.644 per litre, just under €1 per litre (€0.969 to be precise) is spent on excise duties and VAT, putting Italy first (in negative territory) in Europe even in absolute terms. Slovenia ranks second among other European countries in terms of percentage weight (these items account for 58% of the price of diesel), followed by Belgium, France, and Ireland (all of which account for 55%). (ANSA).