No sooner said than done. A little over two weeks after the conference on relaunching the Tuscan Simplified Logistics Zone (SLZ), organized by Livorno Port Authority on February 23rd, at least one of its two objectives has been achieved.
In fact, the regulation for setting up Simplified Logistics Zones, which has been on the cards for over one and a half years, has now been formally approved by the Council of Ministers (CDM) and will be published in the Official Gazette this week.
The document defines how the SLZs are to be set up, how long they are to last, the criteria for their individuation and delimitation, and the procedures for their organization and operation.
“This is an enormously important achievement.” – said Port Network Authority managing director Matteo Paroli – adding “which we like to think we have also accomplished thanks to the very positive feedback that our conference, attended by the entire port community, received. During the conference very precise commitments were made by top institutional representatives to overcome the impasse caused by the failure to adopt the SLZ regulation. The regulation the Presidency of the Council of Ministers has now approved represents the first important step towards adopting a decree establishing the Tuscan SLZ, a goal that is now within reach.” “At this point,’ Mr. Paroli added, “we are confidently awaiting the publication of the decree implementing the Tuscan SLZ.”
The port governing body’s managing director expressly wished to thank everyone who, along with him, had done their utmost to ensure that the impasse could now be considered resolved. Mr. Paroli went on to stress the constant attention that Confindustria Livorno-Massa Carrara has always paid to the Tuscan SLZ issue, together with Confetra, Assiterminal, FISE-Uniport, ANCIP and the Maremma & Tyrrhenian Chamber of Commerce.
“The coordinated effort to press for the definition of the complex legal, regulatory framework, indispensable for setting up SLZs in Italy, saw the participation of all institutions involved, including Tuscany Regional Administration, local parliamentarians and regional councilors from all political factions, which shows that when it comes to the economic development of the area, political forces know how to be cohesive and factual,’ Mr. Paroli concluded.
The president of the Port Network Authority, Luciano Guerrieri, promptly informed of the publication of the SLZ regulation by Mr. Paroli, expressed his satisfaction: “This is a fundamental step forward that rewards the efforts Tuscany Regional Administration and the port authority have been making over the last few years. The current government has demonstrated its willingness to implement our efforts. I would also like to thank all the political forces involved, with whom it has been possible to engage in a serious, constructive dialogue.”
Translation by Giles Foster