“Law 394 is an excellent law, but it is thirty-four years old and needs to be adapted to a different model, which takes international guidelines into account. We need to look ahead, to a new balance of the legal and regulatory system of government”. This is the objective expressed by the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto, who spoke at the conclusion of the States General of Protected Areas, held on 17 and 18 December at the National Library of Rome. The event, organized by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security at the instigation of Undersecretary Claudio Barbaro and in collaboration with Federparchi, connected institutions and protagonists of the system of protected natural areas, with the aim of concretely reflecting on the mechanisms for renewing Law 394 of 1991.
“We must,” explained the Minister, “network extraordinary entities that do not communicate with each other and give this network ongoing central coordination.” The Minister of the Environment said, “we need a cultural action that must make everyone feel active for the territory, to overcome a misunderstanding whereby managers are perceived as dispensers of prohibitions and not the protected area as an operational tool for the development of the territory.” “These days,” he added, “are the recognition of the importance that the 1049 protected areas and their managers have for the Italian system as the primary actors in the development of the territory. Let’s start from here to design the future.” The General States of the protected areas represented a highly anticipated moment of discussion. The presence of the management bodies, in all their institutional components, as well as of the environmental associations, was numerous and qualified. The debate was enriched by contributions from the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, the Coast Guard, interventions from the academic and scientific world, the participation of the Municipalities and Regions, political contributions from all parliamentary forces and from Undersecretary La Pietra representing MASAF and ministers Santanché and Musumeci.
"The wide participation has allowed us to undertake a path of broad sharing of the search for solutions to the critical management issues. In addition to the need to respond to legitimate expectations regarding the improvement of the management of protected areas and the needs of operators, the Ministry of the Environment has offered the opportunity to draft a shared, plural programmatic document, sensitive to all the requests that have come from this formidable opportunity for discussion.
The Ministry and Federparchi will provide for the circulation, among the protagonists of the States General, of a documentary platform to which it will be possible to propose suggestions and amendments, in order to publish the definitive document by January 2024", explained Claudio Barbaro, Undersecretary for the Environment and Energy Security.
*THE SIX POINTS OF THE PROGRAMMATIC DOCUMENT*
Summarizing what emerged from the debate, the interventions on 394/91 to be hypothesized can converge in 6 points summarized in a programmatic document:
1. Speed/flexibility of decision-making
The system is burdened, both by the burdens of management appointments and by the internal structures themselves. Therefore, evaluate how and to what extent it is possible to propose more efficient models that can reconcile all the needs in the field.
2. Governance
The theme of Governance for Marine Reserves and Areas has arisen again, on the assumption that in this case, unlike the Park Authorities, the Management Authorities do not have their own functions but carry out their activity by virtue of a delegation from the Ministry. A more pertinent definition of governance, of the functions and autonomies attributed to it, also raises the issue of the Staff.
3. Organic
The Parks and other Protected Areas complain about a lack of administrative and supervisory staff. This is an issue that needs to be resolved and developed also in terms of management autonomy and use of Resources.
4. Resources
The need to promote the development of public finance for protected areas emerges, which, net of State transfers, must include reward criteria, avoid unused residues and surpluses, facilitate a tax relief regime for obtaining liberal transfers or sponsorships, also in a logic of central intervention, also to enjoy the advantages of an economy of scale.
5. Coordination
Coordination means unity of vision, narrative, perspective of all Protected Areas. The creation of a body at the top of the overall Network of all Protected Areas, national and regional, is being analyzed, in order to promote common interventions, strategic connections, unison development of directions in various fields, including scientific activity, promotion, environmental education
6. Environmental Education
Strongly strengthen environmental education as the main and most useful "moment of contact" between Protected Areas and citizens. (Source: Ministry of the Environment Press Office)
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