Manoeuvre, Guardia di Finanza rescues to be paid for from 2026

The rationalisation of expenditure envisaged by the manovra also imposes a squeeze on the activity of the Guardia di Finanza (the Italian military police) engaged in mountain and sea rescue. Among the many paragraphs of the Budget Bill presented in the Senate, in Article 129, a provision stipulates that as from 2026, requesting help from the Guardia di Finanza must be justified and justified. Otherwise, the search, therescue and rescue in the mountains or at sea will all be chargeable operations. Not only that, the contribution introduced by the new Budget Bill will also be payable by those who procure, through wilful misconduct or gross negligence,

The cost of relief

It will be the Ministry of Economy and Finance that will set the cost of search, rescue and salvage operations that are unjustified or caused by the recklessness of the rescued subjects. The contribution will be calculated in relation to the different cost items, on an hourly or lump-sum basis in relation to the costs incurred by the Fiamme Gialle in relation to personnel, means, fuel and necessary equipment. Rates that, according to what is stated in paragraph 12 of article 129 of the Bill, will be updated annually on the basis of the ISTAT indices recorded on 31 December of the previous year.

Paragraph 11 of Article 129 of the Bill, in introducing the new contribution, provides, however, that nothing is due in the case of search, rescue and recovery operations carried out by the Guardia di Finanza in regulated cases in which the proper performance of a public service is prevented, in those of false dangers in order to create alarm, or again when the obligation to provide assistance and rescue at sea or in inland waters is triggered. Despite the cost-cutting imposed by the manoeuvre, the principle that rescue must be guaranteed to all without discrimination remains valid, and only in cases of culpable or irresponsible behaviour can an obligation to provide compensation or reimbursement be configured.

According to the Guardia di Finanza's latest report released on 19 June on the occasion of the Corps' 251st anniversary in 2024, the total number of interventions carried out by the Guardia di Finanza Mountain Rescue Service was 2,517 and enabled 2,857 people to be rescued and 228 bodies to be recovered. And in the first five months of 2025, excluding the last summer, Alpine activity has not diminished as it employed Corps personnel and vehicles in 1,241 interventions that enabled 1,284 people to be rescued and 44 bodies to be recovered.