Regional policies

Dear freight transport sector, Confindustria Sardegna: the 30 million euros from the Region is welcome news

However, businesses are calling for a structural measure capable of ensuring that Sardinian companies enjoy ‘fair competitiveness’

by Davide Madeddu

13 June 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The invitation to the Region

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A €30 million fund has been allocated in Sardinia to mitigate the impact on freight transport costs resulting from various external factors which, for over 12 months, have been severely testing the competitiveness of sectors such as agri-food, stone, manufacturing and transport. This is the measure the Region has put in place to support businesses

Businesses are hoping that, in addition to measures to alleviate the emergency, there will be a structural solution capable of ensuring that Sardinian businesses can compete on a level playing field with those operating outside the island. This is because the higher cost of freight transport to and from the region exceeds 45% in the short term, and it is estimated that the additional costs borne by businesses will have exceeded €150 million by 2025 alone.

Confindustria gives its approval

“Confindustria Sardegna welcomes the regional government’s announcement regarding the previously announced allocation of €30 million – writes the industrialists’ organisation in a document – to mitigate the impact on freight transport costs resulting from various external factors which, for over 12 months, have been severely testing the competitiveness of sectors such as agri-food, stone, manufacturing and transport.”

This is also because, in addition to the usual price rises, there are those resulting from the increase in fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

We need a structural tool

“Whilst we await the details of the announced measure, the Sardinian Regional Government’s initiative appears to be in line with what our businesses have been reporting for months to both regional and national authorities,” says Andrea Porcu, director of Confindustria Sardegna. “However, a long-term, structural solution is needed, because Sardinian businesses can no longer continue to bear transport costs that are higher than those of their competitors in the rest of Italia and Europe.”

The invitation to the Region

The Sardinian industrialists’ organisation has also called on the Regional Government ‘to act with courage and determination’. ‘There is such a wealth of objective evidence regarding Sardinia’s disadvantage in the field of freight transport – evidence already widely used to their advantage by regions such as Sicily, Corsica and the Balearic Islands – that, the organisation continues, ‘the feared risk of an infringement procedure by the European Commission seems entirely unlikely’.

There is also another point that has been highlighted, and it concerns the outlook. According to a report by Confindustria’s Research Centre, ‘several thousand jobs are potentially at risk due to the definitive decline in production in Sardinia, which will remain a beautiful island increasingly isolated from other Italian and European regions that, despite the international situation, are recording more than positive rates of production growth’.

A concrete action

“That is why, particularly in view of the imminent first budget amendment, Confindustria Sardegna, together with other trade associations – the organisation concludes – has also pointed out in recent weeks that the adoption of regional economic and regulatory measures necessary to ensure the long-awaited territorial continuity of goods, as is already the case for people, cannot be delayed any longer.”

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