RRP - The south of Italy must get its fair share of Covid recovery funding
Press release from EFA MEP Piernicola Pedicini
EFA MEP Piernicola Pedicini is calling for the south of Italy to receive its fair share of funding from Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).
Each EU member state has set out in a national RRP how it will use EU funding intended to assist Europe’s economic recovery following the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic.
But there are concerns that the south of Italy is set to be drastically short-changed, and campaigners, supported by Piernicola Pedicini will directly petition the European Parliament. It is feared that as little as 10% of Italy’s RRP funding will be allocated to help the south of the country.
The hearing takes place before the European Parliament Petitions Committee on Thursday 15 July starting at 10h15.
Speaking ahead of the hearing, Piernicola Pedicini MEP said:
“On Thursday, at the European Parliament, we will officially present a petition alongside members of the Network of 500 Mayors of Recovery Sud and the 24th of August Movement - Territorial Equity, where we will ask EU leaders to impose a change to the RRP presented by Italian Government”.
“We are the only ones calling upon the European institutions to ensure that Italy’s plan is in line with the European regulation.
“The Plan is designed to reduce territorial disparities, promote balanced regional development and support cohesion, binding the provision of resources to the achievement of these objectives. However, the Italian government has presented a plan that does not respect these principles.
“According to the government’s official statements the RRP should assist the economic revival of the south of Italy with the allocation of 80 billion euros. However, by studying all the individual investment lines of the Plan and the accompanying Complementary Fund, only 22 of these announced billions can be found, or 10% of the total.
“This is significantly less than the 40% announced, a percentage which in any case would not guarantee the achievement of the European objectives.
“This is why, after having contacted the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, we have prepared a formal petition to the European Commission. We formally ask the EU to intervene and urge the Italian government to review the plan. If the government does not adapt the RRP to European guidelines then it risks losing resources and with them the opportunity to restart the entire country ".
Follow the live broadcast from the European Parliament, Thursday starting at 10.15 am: Petitions Committee
