Evolution of EU Regional Policies in Italy

1
Evolution of EU Regional Policies in Italy

• The Italian experiencein dealing with Structural
  Funds

2
Challenges in cohesion

• Population
• Total 58.750.000 (12 of EU)
• North 39.300.000 (appr. 2/3rd)
• South 19.450.000 (appr. 1/3rd)
• Welfare
• GDP Total 107 of EU av.
• GDP North 120 of EU av.
• GDP South 72 of EU av.
• Languages and dialects
• 34 different dialects
• 12 different languages
• Urbanisation
• Urban population approx. 20 of the total
• Rome (2.800.000) - 7.400.000
• Milan (1.300.000) 3.700.000
• Naples (1.000.000) 3.100.000

3
South Italy the Mezzogiorno

• Poverty rate
• North 31,6
• Mezzogiorno 68,4
• Unemployment rate
• Italy 8,7
• Mezzogiorno 17,7

4
Problems of Mezzogiorno
ASSISTANCE POLICY SUBSIDIES AND NOT INCENTIVES
GEOGRAPHICAL UNBALANCES DIFFERENT STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
SCARCE PROGRAMMING THE CATHEDRALS IN THE DESERT
5
Breakdown of regional finances
6
National Policy for MezzogiornoThe Fund for
Under-utilised Areas
Institutional Agreements
NEGOTIATED PROGRAMMING
Need for moreconvergence with theEU SFsin
terms ofrules and criteria
Framework Programme Agreements
7
Key elements of Italian Reg. Pol.

• NEGOTIATED PROGRAMMING
• INTERACTION AMONG ADMINISTRATIVE LEVELS
• COMPROMISE BETWEEN DIFFERENT INTERESTS
• TRANSPARENCY IN PROCEDURES

• MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES
• DECENTRALISATION
• INTEGRATED APPROACH
• PERFOMANCE BONUSES

• PARTNERSHIP SCHEMES
• PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
• INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP
• SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP

8
The Mezzogiorno in the SFs
Structural Funds 2000-2006
50.000.000.000 Approx. 50 co-funded by the
EC Approx. 70 managed by Regional
Governments Objective 1 regions 108.000
km2 19.300.000 pop.
9
The Italian Community SupportFramework - its
structure
94 Absorbed
10
Operational Programmesin the Italian CSF

• National Operative Programmes (NOP)14.123.667.000
  
• Research, innovation and Academy
• Education
• Crime prevention and control
• Enterprise support schemes
• Interregional transports
• Fishery
• Technical Assistance

• Regional Operative Programmes (ROP)31.953.048.000
  
• Basilicata Region
• Calabria Region
• Campania Region
• Apulia Region
• Sardinia Region
• Sicily Region

11
The new SFs programming period
Structural Funds 2007-2013
46.000.000.000 Approx. -8 compared to the
previous period15 Regional Programmes for
Competitiveness5 Regional Programmes for
Convergence5 National Programmes for
Convergence1 National Programme for
Competitiveness2 Interregional Programmes for
Convergence
12
The Italian choice for 2007/13

• To make National Policy for Mezzogiorno
  completely coherent with the European development
  and cohesion Policy and share its objectives of
  economic, social and territorial cohesion and
  national competitiveness

Thus
Italy (Central Government and all the Regional
Governments)decided to have a single strategic
document designed through a single programming
scheme.This entails that the NSF (QSN) includes
both the EC and National Policies
13
In practical terms...
The budget law proposal being discussed in the
Parliament has allocated about 63 billion for
the Fund for Under-utilised Areas The allocation
among regions is being discussed on the basis of
the SF allocation
EUROPEAN SIDE
The allocation between Centre-North and Southern
Regions is 15 and 85 respectively The
proportion of resources allocated between Centre
and Regions is respectively30 and 70
NATIONAL SIDE
14
The Italian National StrategicFramework - its
structure
15
Synergies between EU and National resources in
the Italian NSF