“Risks for the cohesion and the public finances of the country” and dangers for “theincrease in inequalities between regions“. It is the judgment of European Commission on the reform ofdifferentiated autonomy, which became law after approval in the House. The EU executive writes it, in black and white, in a working document of the Commission on Italy drawn up within the framework of recommendations on economic, social, employment, structural and budgetary policies, anticipated by theHandle and from the Republic.
“There devolution of further competences to the Italian regions”, we read in the document “includes some protections for public finances, such as periodic assessments of regional fiscal capacities and requirements for regional contributions to achieve national fiscal objectives”. “However”, the Commission points out, “although it assigns specific prerogatives to the government in the negotiation process, it provides no common framework to evaluate regional requests for additional skills”, observes Brussels, highlighting that “the regions will thus be able to request additional skills only once the corresponding ‘essential levels of services‘ (The P)”.
But the EU executive also underlines that “since the LEPs only guarantee minimum levels of services and they do not concern all sectors, they still exist risks of increasing regional inequalities“. Not only that, the Commission warns that “the devolution of additional powers to the regions on a differentiated basis would also increase the institutional complexitycarrying the risk of higher costs both for the sector public than for that private”. The only positive aspect, however, is the EU’s opinion on “some initiatives adopted at national level” which instead go in the opposite direction aimed at “greater central coordination of political action, in particular for the South”.
From the Leaguea party that in the majority strongly wanted the reform, the criticisms raised by the Commission are however rejected at the sender: “What the EU says must be taken with the benefit of inventory, not everything he says is right and what Italy says is wrong” comments the deputy Jacopo Morronespoke at The Rudder on the FM of Radio Newspaper. “The regulation also includes aspects to deal with those that are budget problems. There are no risks or problems,” she adds. “In Europe – insists Morrone – we have our representatives who will try to explain everything, we must have our own independence“. “Those who make sterile controversies to block any type of reform do not reflect our way of doing things,” concludes the League deputy.
