Sorrento: Undersecretary Sbarra at the “Towards the South” Forum

The Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for policies for Southern Italy, Luigi Sbarra, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, addressed today in Sorrento the fifth edition of the “Towards the South” Forum, organised by TEHA Group – The European House Ambrosetti in collaboration with, and under the patronage of, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Giosy Romano, Head of the Department for Cohesion Policies and for Southern Italy at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, also took part in the initiative, speaking in the panel dedicated to the Single Special Economic Zone (ZES Unica) and the attraction of investment in Southern Italy.

During his address, the Undersecretary highlighted the value and content of the White Paper “Towards the South”, prepared by TEHA Group, which outlines the economic, productive and employment growth recorded in Southern Italy in recent years as a result of the measures adopted by the Government, with particular reference to investment, cohesion and strengthening the competitiveness of the South.

Mr Sbarra also underlined the Government’s commitment to developing the Strategic Plan for Southern Italy, describing it as “an institutional infrastructure for coordination and long-term vision”.

“The Plan,” the Undersecretary added, “is not intended to replace existing measures or overlap with sectoral programmes. Rather, it is designed to enhance them, ensure coherence among them and strengthen their effectiveness. It will bring together the results already achieved through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), cohesion policies, the Single Special Economic Zone and other programme initiatives such as the Sea Plan, the Mattei Plan and the Plan for Inland Areas. The objective is to facilitate dialogue and project development within a unified framework, in which each stakeholder retains its role while contributing to a shared strategy.”

“This approach,” Mr Sbarra continued, “will guide the work of the recently established interministerial Steering Committee for Southern Italy, which involves central administrations and territorial authorities.”

The Forum also explored issues relating to the strategic role of the Mediterranean, the development prospects for Southern Italy, and industrial policy instruments and tools for attracting investment, with particular attention to the Single Special Economic Zone and European cohesion policies.

In conclusion, the Undersecretary recalled the results achieved by the Government in supporting public and private investment in the South, highlighting in particular employment incentives for young people, women and disadvantaged workers, recently extended through the Labour Decree, with the aim of further strengthening employment opportunities in Southern Italy.