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Environmental Annex Bill: all investments are for the green economy.

A few days ago the Environment Commission of the Lower House approved the objectives set out in the Environmental Annex to the Stability Law: energy efficiency, fight against illegal building and green contracts. The objectives of the newly established “Italian Fund for Green Communities SGR Investments” – funded for one billion Euro by the Cassa depositi e prestiti (Deposit and Loan Bank) and by the Ministry for Economy and Finance – include protection of the quality of life, environment and territory by supporting redevelopment of the building stock for residential, services or hospitality purposes, to enhance the value of buildings and hamlets having a historical and heritage value. The approved text calls for prioritising and incentivising projects that certify energy efficiency, water management sustainability, internal respiratory, thermal, acoustic and visual wellbeing, harmony between buildings and setting, use of sustainable materials, respect for the building’s historical and heritage value. Draft Decree A few days ago the Environment Commission of the Lower House approved the objectives set out in the Environmental Annex to the Stability Law: energy efficiency, fight against illegal building and green contracts.  The objectives of the newly established “Italian Fund for Green Communities SGR Investments” – funded for one billion Euro by the Cassa depositi e prestiti (Deposit and Loan Bank) and by the Ministry for Economy and Finance – include protection of the quality of life, environment and territory by supporting redevelopment of the building stock for residential, services or hospitality purposes, to enhance the value of buildings and hamlets having a historical and heritage value.  The approved text calls for prioritising and incentivising projects that certify energy efficiency, water management sustainability, internal respiratory, thermal, acoustic and visual wellbeing, harmony between buildings and setting, use of sustainable materials, respect for the building’s historical and heritage value.  Draft Decree

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Unlock Italy Decree: construction work at one’s home no longer need to be authorised by the Municipality.

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Maurizio Lupi, has summarised one of the building simplification regulations contained in the Unlock Italy decree: “renovation work at one’s home no longer need to be authorised by the Municipality; the resident will only need to send a notice, after which they may start the works.” An important regulations for families, which will apply to works that do not change the volumes of the building. “The citizen – Maurizio Lupi explains – becomes the master of their home and may freely carry out works (knock down partitions, create new rooms...) that do not change the volumes, all it takes is a simple notice to the Municipality.” According to the Decree, the variants to building permits that do not entail an essential change – provided they comply with the town planning-construction requirements and are implemented after acquiring any authorisations required by the regulations on landscape, hydro-geological and environmental constraints, protection of the historical, artistic and archaeological heritage and other sector regulations – can be implemented by means of a report of works started and notified at the end of the works with the firm’s certificate. The final text of the decree will establish the “liberalised” works with certainty. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Maurizio Lupi, has summarised one of the building simplification regulations contained in the Unlock Italy decree: “renovation work at one’s home no longer need to be authorised by the Municipality; the resident will only need to send a notice, after which they may start the works.” An important regulations for families, which will apply to works that do not change the volumes of the building. “The citizen – Maurizio Lupi explains – becomes the master of their home and may freely carry out works (knock down partitions, create new rooms...) that do not change the volumes, all it takes is a simple notice to the Municipality.” According to the Decree, the variants to building permits that do not entail an essential change – provided they comply with the town planning-construction requirements and are implemented after acquiring any authorisations required by the regulations on landscape, hydro-geological and environmental constraints, protection of the historical, artistic and archaeological heritage and other sector regulations – can be implemented by means of a report of works started and notified at the end of the works with the firm’s certificate. The final text of the decree will establish the “liberalised” works with certainty. 

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The Competitiveness Decree comes into force

Law 116/2014 – which transposed the Competitiveness Decree (LD 91/2014) – has been published in the Official Journal. The regulation redefines the incentives granted for renewable energies, allocates 350 million Euro for improving the energy efficiency of schools and universities and establishes a 15% tax credit for investments in new machinery. The law introduces subsidised loans to increase the energy efficiency of public school and university buildings. For analysis, monitoring, audit and diagnosis, the maximum duration of the loan is ten years and the maximum amount cannot exceed 30 thousand Euro per individual building. The amount of each operation, including design and certification, cannot exceed one million Euro if the works only concern installations and 2 million Euro if, in addition to installations, the whole building is upgraded, including the building’s envelope. The regulation establishes redefinition of incentives, which will lead to cutting bills for SMEs. However, in order to be able to implement this provision, it is required to cover the costs by redefinition, even retroactive, of the incentives granted to systems for the production of energy from renewable sources. Assorinnovabili (Italian association of renewable energy producers, industry and services) has written to the European Commission requesting opening of an infringement procedure against the Italian State and has stated it will coordinate the appeals of the thousands of operators, both national and foreign “unfairly penalised by a measure unilaterally and retroactively changing the contracts signed with the ESO” To cover the charges of the electrical system, the law provides for an increase in the fixed rates of fees for energy consumption. According to Cogena (association representing firms operating in the fields of construction and distribution of cogeneration systems and energy services) the regulation represents “a new tax on energy efficiency, in other words, an incentive to inefficiency.” For investments in new capital goods intended for production facilities located in Italy and exceeding 10 thousand Euro, the law introduces a 15% tax credit broken into three annual instalments. Text of the LD - Measures for economic growth Law 116 LD91 LD91 - Annexes Law 116/2014 – which transposed the Competitiveness Decree (LD 91/2014) – has been published in the Official Journal.  The regulation redefines the incentives granted for renewable energies, allocates 350 million Euro for improving the energy efficiency of schools and universities and establishes a 15% tax credit for investments in new machinery. The law introduces subsidised loans to increase the energy efficiency of public school and university buildings.  For analysis, monitoring, audit and diagnosis, the maximum duration of the loan is ten years and the maximum amount cannot exceed 30 thousand Euro per individual building. The amount of each operation, including design and certification, cannot exceed one million Euro if the works only concern installations and 2 million Euro if, in addition to installations, the whole building is upgraded, including the building’s envelope. The regulation establishes redefinition of incentives, which will lead to cutting bills for SMEs. However, in order to be able to implement this provision, it is required to cover the costs by redefinition, even retroactive, of the incentives granted to systems for the production of energy from renewable sources.  Assorinnovabili (Italian association of renewable energy producers, industry and services) has written to the European Commission requesting opening of an infringement procedure against the Italian State and has stated it will coordinate the appeals of the thousands of operators, both national and foreign “unfairly penalised by a measure unilaterally and retroactively changing the contracts signed with the ESO” To cover the charges of the electrical system, the law provides for an increase in the fixed rates of fees for energy consumption. According to Cogena (association representing firms operating in the fields of construction and distribution of cogeneration systems and energy services) the regulation represents “a new tax on energy efficiency, in other words, an incentive to inefficiency.”  For investments in new capital goods intended for production facilities located in Italy and exceeding 10 thousand Euro, the law introduces a 15% tax credit broken into three annual instalments. Text of the LD - Measures for economic growth Law 116 LD91 LD91 - Annexes

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The school building plan sets off: new constructions, making buildings safe and maintenance

The funds made available by the government will be allocated for constructing new schools and upgrading existing ones. The works will start when the school year ends, and have been made possible by unlocking the stability plan for 2014 and 2015 (ministerial decree dated 13/06/2014 and ministerial decree dated 30/06/2014) and by allocating 510 million Euro to the "School Plan" by CIPE (Inter-ministerial Committee for Economic Programming). The overall 1,094,000,000 allocation will be used to support the provisions of the plan, which includes three areas: New Schools: about 400 building sites – either ongoing or about to be opened – for new construction and substantial maintenance of buildings, which absorb about 244 million Euro. Safe Schools: about 2500 buildings will undergo work to be made safe, with an allocation of 400 million Euro. The projects have already been approved and will be initiated after the decision approval procedure. Beautiful Schools: about 7800 buildings will be the recipients of an overall allocation of 110 million Euro for minor maintenance, decoration and functional renovation. A further 300 million will be released next year. School Construction DPCM140613 DPCM140630 The funds made available by the government will be allocated for constructing new schools and upgrading existing ones.  The works will start when the school year ends, and have been made possible by unlocking the stability plan for 2014 and 2015 (ministerial decree dated 13/06/2014 and ministerial decree dated 30/06/2014) and by allocating 510 million Euro to the "School Plan" by CIPE (Inter-ministerial Committee for Economic Programming). The overall 1,094,000,000 allocation will be used to support the provisions of the plan, which includes three areas:  New Schools: about 400 building sites – either ongoing or about to be opened – for new construction and substantial maintenance of buildings, which absorb about 244 million Euro. Safe Schools: about 2500 buildings will undergo work to be made safe, with an allocation of 400 million Euro. The projects have already been approved and will be initiated after the decision approval procedure.  Beautiful Schools: about 7800 buildings will be the recipients of an overall allocation of 110 million Euro for minor maintenance, decoration and functional renovation. A further 300 million will be released next year.  School Construction DPCM140613 DPCM140630