NRRP, EU praises Italy on reforms and investments made so far

Brussels – Italy and the others, it is a good start but with a call to move faster. EU member states are demonstrating that they are making good use of the resources made available by the Recovery Fund and that they are already on track with the reforms promised in their respective recovery plans (NRRPs) that the Recovery Fund finances. A positive overall picture that leads the European Commission to believe that the post-pandemic recovery tool “works,” with Italy cited several times as a good example in the third annual report on the status of implementation of fresh publication.

The overall assessment emerging from the report is that, so far, Italy is using Recovery Fund money well, starting with the twin green and digital transition. In practice, through the NRRP, among the “relevant examples” of good implementation, it cites that “Italy has constructed over  200 km of bicycle lanes in metropolitan areas and cities hosting universities, which will facilitate commuting between universities, intermodal nodes and other points in the metropolitan areas” It also holds up the country for having “improved the resilience of more than 172 km of railways in the southern railways, which includes rail line renewal on 6 different routes.” And having “reduced irregular landfills from 34 to 14, a 60 percent reduction, improving waste management and reducing environmental strain.” 

On the digitization commitment front, it cites among the “relevant examples” in terms of good implementation that “in Italy, three important goals related to the integration of public administrations in e-Government solutions have been achieved.” Specifically, they say, through Recovery funds and commitments under the Italian NRRP, 6.678 more public administrations have adopted the digital payment system “PagoPA” (+71 percent compared to 2021), 10.675 more public administrations have joined and provided services through the one-stop shop for access to public services, called the “IO app” (+251 percent compared to 2021), and 1,798 central public administrations and municipalities have joined the “Digital Notification Platform” and started sending legally binding notices to citizens, legal persons, associations, and any other public or private entities through the platform.

It doesn’t end there: the EU Commission applauds investments for 25 companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, for participation in ‘major projects of common European interest’ on hydrogen technology and industry, along with investments for next-generation cloud infrastructure and services. All projects for “breakthrough innovations that contribute to Europe‘s competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability,” the EU Commission stresses in the report.

The Meloni government is reaping the rewards of a work to be shared with Mario Draghi, author of the original draft of an ambitious NRRP and welcomed in Brussels, where efforts on energy are now also appreciated. Italy “is improving its domestic energy infrastructure,” particularly by constructing submarine cables between Sicily and Campania. According to the EU executive, the country “is also enhancing electricity transmission inter-connectors with Austria and Slovenia to improve cross-border electricity flows,” especially for greater integration with Central Europe. All this “will improve energy resilience and the integration of renewable energy sources.”