Backports, after Alessandria it's the Lower Piedmont region's turn, procedure to begin by July

The first nucleus of seven municipalities in the Alessandria area already has the simplified One-Stop Shop, the other areas, included in the list indicated by the Piedmont Region in 2021, will be decided at the next steering committee by the end of July. Enrico Bussalino, the Piedmont Region's councillor for infrastructure, outlined the picture. "In April the Steering Committee of the Simplified Logistic Zone (ZLS) 'Port and Back-Port of Genoa' took office, marking the operational start of one of the most relevant strategic tools for the logistic and industrial development of the North-West - underlines the councillor - by the end of July we will also start the process for the other locations that have applied to host activities related to back-port logistics".

The first core is represented by the localities of Rivalta Scrivia, Arquata Scrivia, Novi Ligure, Alessandria, Castellazzo Bomida, Ovada and Belforte Monferrato. The dossier of the simplified logistics zones, introduced by the Genoa Decree after the Morandi Bridge accident, is divided into two phases. A first, more advanced one, which has already seen the definition of the perimeters in the craft and industrial areas of the first seven municipalities. In April, with the first Steering Committee, the councillor summarised, 'the operationalisation of these areas began, with the launch of a One-stop shop for productive activities dedicated to potential investors. Data and requests are transmitted to the Liguria Region, which is currently acting in the place of the Port Authority, which is setting up an ad hoc office'. This is the one-stop shop that processes paperwork, issues building permits, authorisations for extensions, renovations, technological interventions, and is dedicated to practices linked to the FTZs, "with halved times," adds the councillor.

With the start of the Steering Committee at the end of July, the entry of the municipalities of Lower Piedmont, which have applied to become Simplified Logistic Zones since 2021 and which have been selected by the Piedmont Region to expand the back-port area of the Liguria Ports System, will be deliberated. The procedure provides for the transmission of this further deliberation to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the latter will have to make a Dpcm to authorise the inclusion of the new areas within 60 days. "I foresee that by the end of the year," adds Bussalino, "we will also have the other municipalities identified operational, with the Single Desk and simplified procedures for authorisations and new settlements in place.

The ultimate objective, seven years after the law establishing the FTAs was passed, along the lines of the SEZs created in the Mezzogiorno, is to foster the creation of favourable conditions for the development of new investments in port and sub-port areas, connected to the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) - for the North-West the Terzo Valico and the future Turin-Lyon - and connected in economic-functional terms with the port system.

"Thanks to the presence of the simplified One-stop Shop," explains the councillor, "companies interested in investing in the area can count on a facilitated path that effectively halves the bureaucratic procedures and speeds up the authorisation process. The same procedure, with the start-up of the Steering Committee and Regulations and the Steering Committee, will be launched within the month for the remaining locations vying for the recognition of FTZs.