In Sicily, work is underway to divert up to 900 million to strategic technologies

It has been, and continues to be, a great effort. But the Sicilian Region, at least according to the official version coming from the palaces, has managed not to lose resources from the 2014-2020 EU funds programming: the total endowment, as you will recall, was 4.273 billion.The deadline of 31 December 2023 was preceded by a series of manoeuvres and re-programming wanted by the regional government led by Renato Schifani. To the rescue, let's say, of the Region (not only Sicily, of course) is the EU Commission's decision to give the regions more time for the closure reports: there is now time until 2026 to submit them, but the offices of the Programming Department led by Vincenzo Falgares are counting on reaching the date by 2025.

The Region has reprogrammed resources by introducing fast-track spending measures worth more than EUR 800 million, to support, first and foremost, Sicilian citizens (household energy bonus) and businesses (energy bonus, non-repayable contribution for businesses, guarantee fund for investments), hard hit by the nefarious events of the recent past. The Safe (Supporting Affordable Energy) thematic objective was created, worth EUR 369.5 million, the effects of which in terms of commitments and payments have yet to become apparent.

one looks at the implementation of the 2021-2027 operational programme: all the regions concerned are substantially behind schedule also, and if we want above all, because of the ballast of the previous programme that was strongly conditioned in its implementation by the Covid pandemic. The new Po Fesr (European Regional Development Fund) programme is worth 5.858 billion (of which 4.101 billion in EU share). The construction site is open: in recent months, in addition to a competition on communication that has created quite a few ill-feelings among some companies, a calendar has been published (which is an obligation) for calls for proposals that 'aims to guarantee potential beneficiaries precise and timely information with respect to the programming of activities that concern them'. A second calendar is already ready and should be published in the coming days. In the calendar the calls for proposals that are being published are marked and this should give an acceleration to commitments and expenditure: it is expected that some results will start to be seen in September.

But before September, more news could arrive on the reprogramming of funds. On the basis of the Step regulation (2024/795), which focuses on investments for the creation of a platform for strategic technologies for Europe, the Region has started thinking about reprogramming 15% of the endowment as allowed by EU rules, diverting up to 900 million euros to energy transition, green and the development of new strategic technologies for the EU (chips are among them). A path that should be completed by the end of August.

Meanwhile, in recent days, the regional government has given the go-ahead to the new governance for territorial policies in Sicily, which will allow the release of EUR 1.7 billion from the 2021-2027 ERDF regional programme. In this reorganisation, the Department of Planning will play the role of coordinating authority for territorial policies. The individual departments of the administration will be centres of financial responsibility in relation to their areas of competence. The departments of Local Government will be responsible for the implementation of the strategic objective 'A Europe closer to its citizens', which is laid down in two EU regulations to support the economic, social and environmental development of urban and non-urban areas in an integrated manner.