SME law, the guarantee stamp for fashion arrives

A package of amendments to the annual bill for SMEs, under consideration by the Senate Industry Committee, introduces novelties for fashion companies and for visas granted to foreign managers. These are proposals by Fratelli d'Italia (signed by senators Amidei and Ancorotti) in line with initiatives already announced in recent months by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (Mimit).

For the fashion supply chain, the introduction of a Single Certification of Conformity is in sight, with a system of rules and controls to protect the image of the product and healthy companies in the sector. A sort of stamp of guarantee on the quality of the product and the correctness of the activity carried out, also in relation to workers. Once the various requirements have been met, supply chain companies and lead companies will be able to use the term 'Certified Fashion Supply Chain', valid for one year. There will be certifiers and a Mimit register with certified companies, for which a sort of presumption of legality will be triggered. These companies will in fact be able to adopt any corrective measures identified by the competent court and, only in the event of non-compliance, will the measures provided for by the anti-mafia code be applied.

Another package of amendments relates to the 'Destination Italy' programme, which the head of Mimit, Adolfo Urso, had spoken about in recent months in order to attract qualified human resources from abroad. The FdI proposal envisages that foreign workers who hold certain positions (president, board member, managing director of a joint-stock company or limited partnership whose capital exceeds 1 million euros, whether Italian or foreign, but with operational headquarters in Italy) can benefit from a visa for self-employment without being subject to quotas and without a time limit.

At the same time, however, at least on a first reading, the amendment would seem to restrict the scope of the current special visa for foreign investors, referring to investments that must have already been made in the six months prior to the application for authorisation or, if they are investment intentions, only to transactions that are worth more than €25 million and have a significant impact on employment.

A further amendment envisages extending the perimeter of the municipalities in which foreign pensioners who transfer their residence to Italy can benefit from tax advantages. Municipalities with a population of up to 60,000 inhabitants, while the current limit is set at 20,000 inhabitants, will be admitted - among those in any case falling within the categories defined in Presidential Decree 917/1986. The facilitation consists in the possibility of subjecting income produced abroad to a flat-rate substitute tax of 7 per cent.