The ongoing fight in Europe over the new 2028-2034 budget – especially over the regionally contested centralization of cohesion policies – risks overshadowing maneuvers aimed at reorganizing the funding of the current 2021-2027 program.
The mid-term review – a medium-term review aimed at adapting to new priorities, a series of projects that are currently, at least in part, almost obsolete – in the case of Italy so far concerns 23 programs, five of which are national, that is, managed by ministries, and 18 regional programs. The renovations are worth a total of 2.6 billion euros (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 29 October) if we also include the 361 million which specifically refers to the priority ESF Plus funds.
After deducting this figure and some additions made during the course, the monitoring presented by the Cohesion Policy Department at the meeting held on 22 and 23 October with the European Commission regarding the Annual Performance Review focused on 2.1 billion. The fund shifts objectives in favor of five priorities set by the European Union: affordable homes (total 853.8 million), water networks (527.3 million), energy transition (257.1 million), strategic technologies of the Step platform (256.5 million), defense infrastructure (167.3 million). Finally, 11.2 million funds are intended for civil preparations in case of conflict, for example for field hospitals, public shelters, and 43 million other resources still have to be allocated.
As already mentioned, the largest share comes from housing policy: 215 million comes from the national inclusion program, 155.4 million from Pon Metro, 38 million from the Just transition fund (Taranto and Sulcis industrial area recovery program), 100 million from the Calabria regional program, 88.4 million from Sicily, 100 from Campania, 120 million from Lazio, 12 from Emilia Romagna and 6.5 from Abruzzo. 30 million from Pon Cultura, 28.2 million from Pon Metro, 250 from Campania, 50 from Calabria, 40 from Puglia, 36.5 from Sicily, 60 from Lazio, 9.5 from Marche, 23 from Lombardy diverted to the water network.
119 million from the National Research and Competitiveness Program, 15 from Pon Cultura and 14 from the Just transition fund, 50 from Campania, 37 from Sardinia, 12.5 from Abruzzo, 9.5 from Marche contributed to the energy transition. To encourage strategic Step technology, 76 million Justice transition funds have been disbursed, 60 million Abruzzo program, 5.5 million Marche program, 40 million funds for Lazio, 75 million for Lombardy program.
