CHAMPION OF ITALY – At the center of the discussions are two crucial themes in view of the next tourist season: i surveillance services in the waters of Ceresio for summer 2024 and the use of Swiss vessels registered by citizens residing in EU countries in the international waters of Ceresio and Verbano. The second one safety table on the waters of Lake Ceresio took place on board the motorship Italia of Navigazione Lago di Lugano in Campione d’Italia, but it also closely concerned the territory of Varesewhere there are three municipalities bordered by the lake: Porto Ceresio, Lavena Ponte Tresa and Brusimpiano.
Summoned by the two prefects
The table (in the photo below) was summoned by the two prefects: Salvatore Pasquariello for Varese e Andrea Polichetti of Como. Present were police commissioners, provincial commanders of the Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza and Roan, firefighters, managers of the Customs Agencies, mayors, law enforcement agencies, the Ceresio Basin Authority, Piano e Ghirla and the Lake Lugano Navigation Company. The president of the Ceresio Basin Authority, Piano and Ghirla Massimo Mastromarino opened the proceedings by underlining the increase in presences on Lake Ceresio of 10% at the end of 2023, with a total of 684 hours of navigation to patrol the waters. Data that highlighted the importance of maintaining and strengthening efforts to guarantee the safety of tourists and swimmers. He also reiterated the desire to maintain close collaboration between the inter-provincial law enforcement agencies for the control of navigation and water safety, specifically also the Italian-Swiss collaboration for rescue on Lake Ceresio, for maximum cooperation for water safety.
A fire brigade outpost
«This context has strengthened the weight of supervision and control also with the provision of water ambulances and rescue units with alarm systems by the Green Cross of Lugano and the two rescue companies of Lugano and Mendrisiotto – said Mastromarino – the experimental phase conducted in the 2023 season has demonstrated an excellent guarantee of assistance in Italian waters thanks to the collaboration of the Swiss nautical units, in particular the Lugano Rescue Society which ensured the presence of qualified rescue and diving personnel on the entire lake during the weekends, regardless of the departure area”. In order to make supervisory and monitoring work more efficient has also been hypothesized the creation of an agreement with i Fire fighters of Varese and Como for the establishment of an outpost. For this activity the commander of the Varese Fire Brigade Mario Abate he underlined that there is already an implementing decree from the Ministry for the Varese area. On the other hand, the representative of the Como command, deputy Gennaro Di Maio, recalled the Menaggio garrison, which already has a boat in the water in Porlezza ready for any form of intervention.
The license plate issue
As the second item on the agenda it was analyzed the exemption granted for the use of nautical units with TI license plates by EU citizens in Lake Ceresio and the procedure for the assumption of diffusion to Verbano is underway. Further information and cognitive elements were sent to the Customs Agency and the Financial Police to guarantee the necessary controls by the Basin Authority. On the subject the letter from Norman Gobbidirector of the Department of Institutions and Elia Arrigoni, head of the circulation section according to whom «The long-awaited solution to resolve the complex issues that have involved the competent Italian and Swiss offices for years could finally be within reach. This is what emerges from the initiative of Regio Insubrica Work Community, which recently transmitted a concrete and proactive act dated 9 April 2024. This act, which receives our full support, could represent a significant turning point for the safety and management of the waters of Verbano. We hope that it will obtain immediate and total support also from the Prefects of Como and Varese of the Italian Republic.”
