For the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan "nthere is no more time to lose. LItaly is called to account for the trust placed in it by Europe. Resources for projects that do not create growth are better allocated to companies through tax credits'. Thus Vito Grassi, Vice President of Confindustria and President of the Council for Regional Representations and Territorial Cohesion Policies, in an interview with Sole24Ore.

On the reforms that have been awaited for decades, Grassi emphasised that 'for some time now we have seen an easing of political tension and find any rescheduling of them over time unjustified. The time factor is crucial, the months for reflection have become too long, decisions must be made and implemented. With a truthful investment operation, repeatedly called for by President Bonomi. We are concerned that indeterminacy will turn into paralysis". This was the alarm sounded by the Vice President, who was concerned that this delay and the resulting climate of uncertainty surrounding the NRP would be transferred to the entire cohesion policy, affecting several financial programmes.

In fact, Grassi emphasised that there is "ihe risk of also delaying the start of the 2021-2027 programming callsas is already happening in some territories, the ones that need to catch up the most. Now it is not productive to look for responsibilities or past mistakes, rather it is fundamental to think of the future, directing efforts and resources on interventions and acceleration measures such as those for companies. The production system, in fact,' continued Vito Grassi, 'can play a leading role in leading Italy towards development, in particular towards the completion of the green and digital transitions, always keeping the human factor and its skills at the centre'. And with regard to the energy transition, the Vice-President recalled that, according to EU data, for the intermediate 2030 target of Fit For 55, Italy should invest between 650 and 670 billion while the PNRR allocates 60 billion. Therefore, 'there is not only the difficulty of spending these resources,' added Grassi, 'but of implementing urgent measures to support the enormous effort that is being asked of private individuals. Moreover, as can be seen from the Economic and Financial Document, 'in the coming months budget resources will be limited. The only ones available for growth will be those provided by the PNRR, the RepowerEu and the cohesion funds. This is why we must, with even greater determination, use them all and in the most effective way'. We need to rediscover the spirit of the plan, which 'was born in the context of the Next Generation EU. It is a historic opportunity and it is necessary that the PNRR is first and foremost aimed at mending the gaps that penalise the country's development', which for the Vice President are two in particular: infrastructure and competitiveness.

On the reshaping of the NRP, Grassi noted that the details of the changes are not known, nor is there any information on the content of the addendum to the NRP envisaged by Repower EU, which is to contain measures to counter the energy crisis. An uncertainty that affects all cohesion policy fundingThere has been talk for months of moving the PNRR projects to the programming of the SIE funds, the European structural and investment funds, and the FSC, the fund for development and cohesion. It is essential that this hypothesis be defined in detail as soon as possible, sharing the path with the regions and the economic and social partnership,' Grassi said.

During the interview, with regard to the recent convening of the Cabina di Regia on the fourth instalment, Vito Grassi drew attention to the announcement of the rescheduling of 10 objectives out of the 27 planned because, according to the vice president, 'it implicitly means acknowledging a delay on more than a third of those objectives, in addition to the fact that, at the moment, the terms of the payment request that will be submitted to the commission are not known. There is a risk of paralysis. On the success of the PNRR also depends the possibility that the Next Generation EU will not be an isolated choice for Europe. Italy is called upon to respond to the trust placed in it with the maximum amount available,' he stressed.

Finally, the issue of the Plan's governance, for the Vice President, 'remains a fundamental element and the government's decision to strengthen the role of the Prime Minister's Office by setting up a mission structure was a good one, even if this step led to a period of adjustment that weighed on delays. Therefore a relationship between the public and the private sector and discussion with the social partners must be strengthened. Participation in the steering committee is not automatic and has so far been sporadic. Whereas an effective confrontation with the social partners is necessary, especially in this period, to effectively identify lines of action'.