No movement of resources, but the opportunity for Regions and Member States, to be activated on a voluntary basis, to be able to remodulate the resources of the cohesion policy funds and the Just Transition Fund to counter the effects of the energy crisis. From Lecce, where he took part in the Energy Festival, the executive vice-president of the European Commission with responsibility for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, returned to the proposal, put in black and white in a letter sent in recent days to the competent ministers of the 27 member states, to use that budget to compensate for the increases in energy costs. «The letter is an opportunity that we give, creating the conditions to be able to adapt the current cohesion programs – he explained -. We are not moving any resources: we are giving an opportunity to the Regions and governments, responsible for the programs of their respective competence.”
Fitto then recalled that a review had just been concluded in which the same governments and the same Regions «participated, with the same method, without this involving any controversy. We have completed a review of 35 billion at European level, Italy has used it for 7 billion.” The path, therefore, is traced. And the former minister said he was amazed by “a controversy that I don’t understand”. “I have sent – he added – the letter to 27 ministers, in the next few hours it will reach all the regional presidents”. Governors who, however, did not fail to respond to his words. The EU’s invitation to Michele De Pascale, president of Emilia-Romagna, “is a mockery for Italy”, while that of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, invited not to use the resources for other purposes. And the M5S leader, Giuseppe Conte, also intervened: «Hands off cohesion funds, tax extra profits». A path, the latter, later recalled by the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, who, in relaunching the proposal, addressed a message to the prime minister. «He is fighting to suspend the ETS, but he doesn’t tell us where he used the 9 billion that he has accrued with those ETS since he was in Palazzo Chigi. Why don’t you use them to support small and medium-sized businesses to install photovoltaic panels or increase energy efficiency?”.
In short, the controversy continued despite the reassurances provided by Fitto who then also recalled the other possible “leg” of the remodulation, the Pnrr, with respect to which “the Commission granted the Member States one last chance to review, setting the deadline for 31 May and providing for a few additional days to complete the assessments”.
The path chosen, however, by Italy to guarantee itself further room for maneuver on energy is that of the deviation on which a response is awaited from Brussels which, Fitto said, “is working to understand how to identify an adequate solution”. In the meantime, however, next Wednesday the EU Commission will adopt the spring package of the European semester: it is the annual event in which the community executive publishes the economic assessments of the 27 and the specific recommendations for the country. A package that will be adopted by the EU Council, usually in July. On a fiscal level, expectations are quite clear and for Italy the procedure for excessive deficit should be confirmed, in light of the target of 3.1% of GDP in 2025, while any improving revisions of the data will be assessed in the autumn.
As for the other games launched by the government, starting with the ETS system which the executive has asked to suspend, a first milestone is set for 24 June when there will be, Fitto explained, “an orientation debate on the possibility of starting a review” of the mechanism.
