In the race against time of the Parliament for the approval of as many as four decrees before the summer breaktoday the final green light arrived for Reconstruction DecreeThe measure is law with 153 votes in favour94 against and 4 abstentions. The measure introduces urgent provisions “for post-disaster reconstruction, for civil protection interventions and for the holding of major international events”. The decree had already been approved by the Senate on 31 July. The Democrats protested: “The decree contains everything except a strategy and above all resources to deal with emergencies and prevention interventions”, said the Democratic Party group leader in the Chamber Clear Braga. “They also rejected a motion signed by me that simply committed the government to make available, in the next budget law, the necessary financial resources for families and businesses damaged by the calamitous events of 2022 and 2023. This is what the Conference of the Regions asked for, denouncing the absolute insufficiency of the currently planned appropriations. Families and businesses left alone or minimally compensated, as in Emilia Romagna, after the images of Prime Minister Meloni in her waders in the mud promising funds within a few weeks. It was all nonsense“.
These are some of the measures contained in the decree: contributions to private individuals; acceleration of compensation procedures; extension of the mandate of the Commissioner for reconstruction in Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marche; measures in favor of Phlegraean Fields affected by the bradyseism; extraordinary resources for the G7 summit in Brindisi and a law on Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation.
The decree provides for the recognition of contributions to private individuals who have had their homes damaged by natural disasters. The possibility of accessing a contribution for damage to unregistered movable property damaged by the 2016 earthquake is eliminated. And it is expected that the Extraordinary Commissioner may recognize a contribution calculated on a flat-rate basis and based on the number and type of rooms in which the movable property was located, up to a limit of 3,200 euros for the kitchen and no more than 700 euros for other rooms, up to a maximum total amount of 6,000 euros per home.
Then they face each other compensation procedures in the context of private reconstruction interventions to allow people to return to their homes and measures are foreseen to “promote the safety of the territory affected by the flood” also by freeing the areas of greatest hydrogeological danger. The Extraordinary Commissioner, in carrying out random checks on beneficiaries, on a frequency that can also be monthly, can also make use of public bodies or state organs. And he can revoke the benefit if he finds that the conditions for granting it did not exist. The text also indicates in detail his powers and the procedures for selecting the figure of the Commissioner as well as the various extensions. The one for the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marcheaffected by the floods, will remain in office until December 31, 2024.
The decree also provides that the FS Group can make an important contribution to the safety of infrastructure in areas hit by natural disasters. The Extraordinary Commissioner can prepare and approve special plans for the safety and reconstruction of damaged road infrastructure. Anas can provide, in addition to the restoration, also interventions to combat the deterioration of roads that may not be under its jurisdiction. Rules are introduced regarding the management of waste materials produced by calamitous events. And the granting of a contribution to complete the reconstruction process after the earthquake in Abruzzo on 6 April 2009 is included. Illegal buildings are excluded from the contribution. The state of emergency declared for meteorological events in the Marche. The powers to hire staff for another 5 years are then extended to the Italian Meteo Agency.
The text also includes the decree which established measures in favour of Phlegraean Fields affected by the bradyseism. The figure of the Extraordinary Commissioner is also established for this emergency and interventions are indicated for the redevelopment of public buildings and for the functionality of transport infrastructures.
Furthermore, simplified procedures are foreseen. There are measures to ensure the continuity of school activities. The Campania Region can assign a contribution to families whose home has been vacated due to uninhabitability, set in proportion to the number of members. The contribution can go from a minimum of 400 to a maximum of 900 euros per month. In addition to the additional contribution of 200 euros per month for each person in the family unit who is over 65 or disabled with a percentage of invalidity of no less than 67%. The Campania Region also adopts the necessary measures to prevent the construction of new buildings in the area. In the event of non-compliance, the Council of Ministers exercises the substitute power by prohibiting the issuing of building permits. The programming of seismic requalification interventions of the residential building heritage in the Campi Flegrei area is then outlined.
As regards the G7 summit held in Puglia, in addition to increasing the presence of law enforcement in the area, measures are also being taken extraordinary resources for the Police Forcesfor an amount of 13.95 million for 2024. An interpretative provision has also been introduced on the ‘Milano Cortina 2026’ Foundation, which provides that the foundation does not have the qualification of a public law body and that its activities are not governed by public law provisions.
