Businesses in Central Italia: Key regions for the new EU funding programme

To ensure adequate resources to support the competitiveness of the production system and a significant simplification of the rules on state aid. The regions must also continue to play an active role in the planning and management of the Structural Funds. These are the main demands that emerged during the meeting entitled “Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034: priorities for Italian industry between growth, cohesion and competitiveness”, organised by Confindustria and hosted yesterday by Unindustria Lazio in Rome. The initiative, which formed the Central Italy leg of the series of discussions organised by Confindustria across the five European Parliament constituencies, brought together MEPs from the Italia constituency, representatives of the regional Confindustria associations and local institutions, to explore the prospects of the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework, the main planning instrument.

Speaking on behalf of the business community, in particular, were Giuseppe Biazzo, president of Unindustria; Fabrizio Bernini, president of Confindustria Toscana; Paolo Ceci, president of the Regional Committee for Small Industry of Confindustria Marche; Giammarco Urbani, president of Confindustria Umbria. Also present were Antonio Matonti, director of the Policy and Advocacy Division at Confindustria; Annalisa Sassi, president of the Council of Regional Representatives of Confindustria; Francesco De Santis, vice-president of Confindustria for Research and Development; Matteo Borsani, director of Confindustria’s European Affairs Division; and Pierpaolo Pontecorvo, Unindustria’s delegate for European Affairs. Also speaking at the meeting were Roberta Angelilli, Vice-President of the Lazio Region and Councillor for Development, as well as MEPs Salvatore De Meo (Forza Italia), Nicola Procaccini (Fratelli d’Italia), Camilla Laureti (Democratic Party), Francesco Torselli (Fratelli d’Italia), Dario Nardella (Democratic Party).

During the meeting, it emerged that, for businesses, the cohesion policy is a key tool for competitiveness, fostering greater integration between regional development objectives and European industrial policies. The finalisation of the new European budget represents a crucial step for the Italian manufacturing sector: European decisions will have a direct impact on businesses’ ability to invest, innovate and compete in global markets. Particular attention was paid to the evolution of cohesion policy and to the new European instruments for funding competitiveness, research and innovation. The discussion provided an opportunity to bring the needs of the regions and the manufacturing sector in Central Italia into dialogue with the MEPs involved in the negotiations.

“The 2028–2034 European programming period must ensure adequate resources to support the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, by backing investments with a high industrial impact, including those by large enterprises,” said Giuseppe Biazzo, president of Unindustria. “‘We need,’ he added, ‘a significant simplification of the rules on state aid, overcoming the territorial constraints and inflexibilities that currently prevent too many businesses and investment projects from benefiting from European support and resources that could generate greater innovation and productivity gains across the regions’ manufacturing sectors.’

For a region such as Lazio, ‘ERDF funds are crucial for supporting competitiveness, digitalisation and the ecological transition, to reduce the disparities between Rome and the provinces, and to strengthen industrial sectors that are strategic for the country and for Europe, such as the biomedical and aerospace sectors”, remarked the president of Unindustria. “It is essential,” he added, “that the regions maintain an active role in the planning and management of the Structural Funds, whilst improving synergies with national strategies, promoting interregional projects and measuring performance more effectively. Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria and the Marche deserve a unified approach to their needs and potential.”