The experience of EGTC Italian Approval Authority Meeting

The experience of EGTC Italian Approval Authority Meeting of the Approval Authorities 21 st- 22 nd February, 2013. Budapest

Antonio Caponetto Director of the Office for the International relations of the regional and local authorities in the Department of the Regional Affairs, Tourism and Sport of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers. This office is also the Italian EGTC approval authority. My most important expertise is in the field of development policies and EU fund programming, where previously I was official. I was audit authority in some ERDF programs. Born in Sicily, I live in Rome.

ü Italy implemented the EGTC Regulation (EC) 1082/2006 in 2009 ü The Italian rules of implementation were stated with the “EU Bill” ü The so called “EU Bill” is the annual bill which transposes EU Directives into Italian law and implements every other legal measure produced by the European Union

ü Every EGTC statute and convention are approved by a decree of the Prime Minister, president of the Council of the Ministers ü Usually this decree is signed by the Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of the Ministers, that is the chief of staff and delegated by Prime Minister to sign some acts

ü Every EGTC prospective Italian member has to submit to the Presidency the drafts of convention and statute. ü The task of the Department of Regional Affairs is to receive advice, objections or amendments from the others concerned Ministries

ü In examining the draft, firstly the officials take account of the EGTC tasks to verify they fall within the competences of the regional or local prospective members ü another point of examination is the compliance to the EU regulation and to the Italian laws ü after received this sectorial advises, as authority of approval, our main task is to evaluate if the EGTC project is not against the national political interests

Ministries’ matters of interest ü Ministry of Foreign Affairs § compliance with foreign policy ü Internal Affairs § compliance with internal national security ü Economy and Finance § compliance with public accounting and budget policy ü Economic Development § compliance with cohesion policy and market freedom ü Presidency of the Council of the Ministers – EU Affairs Department § compliance with EU laws and policies ü Regional Affairs Department § not fighting national interests

about the process of approval ü the Italian law stated as binding the time limit of 90 days for the decision of approving or not approving the EGTC proposal ü However, according to the Italian law, the approval or denial of the EGTC project must be expressed § Italy does not agree with the EU Commission new EGTC Regulation proposal where it provides that the convention shall be deemed to be approved without objection raised in time limit ü In all EGTC project submitted, the Italian authority has approved or raised objection or amendments in time limit. ü In case of objection or amendments requested, the time start again when the prospective member submits the new drafts of convention and statute amended as request

ü At today, no EGTC project has been rejected § In one case, after the approval – which according the Italian law remains in force for six months – the EGTC was not established ü After the signing of statute and convention, the EGTC Italian member send the final version and the departmental office, after briefly verifying, insert the most important EGTC data in the national register

ü At present, four EGTC were established under Italian law (because in Italy they have their registered office) ü 1 in 2010, 2 in 2011, 1 in 2012 ü Other two EGTC have been authorized in 2012 and the final sign is being waited to insert them in the national register

ARCHIMED gectarchimed@gmail. com ü EGTC with partners from Italy (Regions Sicily and Sardinia), Spain (Balearic Islands) and Cyprus (Larnaca District Development Agency). ü The registered office is in Taormina, Sicily ü Main goal is to establish a cooperation area between the Mediterranean isles, for purpose of developing tourism, protection of environment, fishing and transport

http: //www. europaregion. info/it/ ü EGTC was established in 2011 by the Austrian province of Tirol and the Italian provinces Südtirol/Alto Adige and Trentino ü The registered office is in Bozen/Bolzano ü Cooperation between the three provinces covers many fields, especially the economy, traffic and communication services, culture, education, environment, tourism and various social areas ü One of the most important objectives of the Euroregion is the improvement of the general conditions for a lasting development that considers both the sensitive eqilibrium of nature and environment and the economic necessities in the alpine region.

THE GORIZIA, NOVA GORICA AND ŠEMPETER-VRTOJBA EGTC http: //www. euro-go. eu/it/ ü The Municipalities of Gorizia, Mestna občina Nova Gorica (SLO) e Občina Šempeter-Vrtojba (SLO) have considered EGTC as the most suitable instrument to further develop their mutual cooperation, started back in 1964 when the first meeting between the municipal administrations of Gorizia and Nova Gorica was held ü This EGTC is focused specifically on the strategic coordination of the policies of the metropolitan area concerning, at a municipal level, the following competences: § management, implementation and modernization of the infrastructures, systems and transport services, mobility and logistics; § coordination of urban transport policies also through a joint/coordinated management of transport services; § management of the intermodal logistic knots of the metropolitan area; § exploitation and management of of local energy and environmental resources; § drawing up of a metropolitan energy plan; § drawing up of joint intervention plans aiming at strengthening economic and social cohesion in other sectors too.

EGTC «Euroregione Senza Confini» ü Established in 2012 between Italian Regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and Austrian Land of Carinthia to improve the transfrontier cooperation ü The registered office is in Trieste ü The EGTC main task should be to manage programs and projects funded by EU within the Territorial Cooperation Objective

EGTC waiting for sign ü two EGTC projects – approved in 2012 shall have the task to improve the cooperation in the field of environment protection ü between the “La Maddalena” Natural Park Authority and Environment Office of French Region of Corse, for purpose to manage the international natural park of the Straits of Bocche di Bonifacio ü between “Alpi Marittime” Natural Park Authority and French “Mercatour” Natural Park Authority

ü Finally, on the basis of the experience. I can say that the Italian regional and local authorities prefer as main scope for the activities of an EGTC the territorial cooperation in economic programming, firstly, and social and public services providing and environment protection