Lombardy confirms itself as the engine region of Italian growth, but there is one fact that worries the region’s businesses quite a bit. This is exports, which in the first quarter of 2024 recorded an alarming decline of 3.4% compared to the same period of 2023.
It is true that compared to the values obtained in 2019, Lombardy exports are at +28%, but the sudden decline in the first three months of this year cannot leave entrepreneurs and companies indifferent. The causes of this decline are certainly to be found in the stagnation of the German economy, in the geopolitical tensions of the Eurasian bloc and in the tensions present in the “enlarged Mediterranean”.
These are some of the data that emerged during the Council of Cna Lombardia in the presence of the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana, the Councilor for Economic Development of the Lombardy Region Guido Guidesi, the President of the PD Group in the Chamber of Deputies Chiara Braga, the Councilor for the University, Research, Innovation of the Lombardy Region Alessandro Fermi, of the President of Confindustria Como Gianluca Brenna, of the Full Professor of Economic Policy at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan Raul Caruso, of the President of Cna Nazionale Dario Costantini and of the President of Cna Lombardia Giovanni Bozzini.
An annual event, the one organized by Cna Lombardia, with the aim of focusing attention on the current issues of the Lombardy and national economy, having possibly as complete a picture as possible of what the future of small and medium-sized enterprises. Among the main themes that emerged during the assembly was that linked to sustainability, which remains one of the main focuses on which artisan businesses are called to commit in the coming years.
“The topic of sustainability has always been central to our dialogue with the candidates for the European elections – highlights the president of Cna Lombardia Giovanni Bozzini -. As always, Cna Lombardia has expressed a high position in terms of goals, pragmatic in terms of means. On various topics such as Casa Green, sustainable finance, atmospheric emissions from vehicles, we have always been in favor of a substantial but sustainable reduction also in terms of gradualism and impacts on employment values”.
International cooperation and consequently the relationship with Europe are fundamental for the all-round development and growth of artisan businesses. Greater cohesion between EU states would not only bring economic benefits but also environmental and social ones.
“The Economic Development Department of the Lombardy Region has become the cornerstone of a structured lobbying action shared by the Lombardy stakeholders in Brussels – states Bozzini -. Cna Lombardia supports this action in institutional terms and actually expects that the political parties, overcoming the party opposition, will always find a way to coalesce around the main community dossiers of regional interest. Relations with the European Commission and the European Parliament are fundamental precisely to reiterate the request for graduality in the issuance of measures on sustainability tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises.”
A direct discussion with the representatives of Lombardy businesses as underlined by the secretary of Cna Lombardia Stefano Binda who underlined how “With the Council, Cna Lombardia wanted to stimulate a debate between experts and political representatives of different orientations and institutional levels -. University, Lombardy Region, Parliament. These are the places where those who will discuss work authoritatively with experience in the fields of the environment, social inclusion, gender equality and digital transition. It is time for sustainability in a broad sense, even in a “geopolitical” sense, in light of the multiple tensions present at a planetary level.”
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