Pnrr, 2.1 billion revision. One billion to green houses and 200 million to social housing
Rail liberalisation wanes. Half a billion less for the tax credits of the single southern Italian SEZ: will be replaced by national funds
by Manuela Perrone and Gianni Trovati
Key points
The latest reshaping of Italy's NRP is taking shape on the eve of the crediting of the ninth 12.8 billion instalment, which should be made official in the next few hours. Illustrating the details was Minister Tommaso Foti, first in the very rapid control room that met for a quarter of an hour late yesterday morning, and then, above all, in the subsequent hearing before the joint committees on Constitutional Affairs and the Budget of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
A 2.1 billion overhaul
The adjustments concern some 90 measures and, alongside the usual technical corrections on milestones and targets to ensure their achievement, move a total of EUR 2.1 billion. Losing resources is first and foremost, as widely announced, the project to liberalise Intercity and regional train services, which was to take off through Rosco, the public company called upon to purchase and then rent trains for candidates to offer the service on a competitive basis.
For green homes new billion facility
The target, to which EUR 1.2 billion was linked, was shelved by the government a few weeks after negotiating it with the EU Commission. But the loss of funds has been averted by the revision, which brings in a new one billion facility to be used for measures to strengthen the supply of green, energy-efficient homes. A further 200 million will be used to strengthen the existing measure on energy efficiency in public housing (included in the NRP with the maxi remodulation of November 2023), which has a surplus of applications. This is the way to strengthen the Home Plan, as announced in recent weeks by several members of the Executive.
Single ZES, minus 500 million for tax credits
Half a billion will instead go from the chapter financing tax credits for investments in the single southern Italy SEZ, because - the minister explained - "the difficulties in reporting were incompatible with the Plan's deadlines". The European resources will, however, be replaced by national funds in a budget that, again by virtue of the same rewrite, finds new space for the diversion to EU funds of another 700 million earmarked for the Transition 5.0 tax rebates, the subject of an eternal dance in the constant corrections of the NRP. This latest give-and-take, however, seems to worry the Minister of Enterprise, Adolfo Urso, who in the control room, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, has expressed strong perplexity about the technical feasibility of the operation. Also under observation is the incentive reform, on which tension is high between Mef and Mimit, from which, however, serenity about reaching the target leaks out.
Environment says goodbye to 232 million
The Ministry of the Environment had to reprogramme some 232 million: 33 million again from the electricity columns, 73 million from the sewerage and purification investment, 100 million from agro-voltaics, and 26 million from the intervention for the sustainable procurement of critical raw materials. Agriculture, for its part, has reduced the mechanisation item by 12 million and the agri-solar park by 158 million. Another 90 million is freed from the Ministry of Infrastructure's LogIN measure, which was worth 157 million in all and aimed at supporting the digital transformation of freight and logistics companies.
