The Presidents of the Italian Port System Authorities expressed their strong disappointment at the statements by Nicola Zaccheo, President of the Regulatory Authority of Transport, included in the presentation of the ART Annual Report took place on Tuesday at the Chamber of Deputies. In particular, the presidents of the AdSP have harshly criticized the passage in which Zacchaeus dwells on the new assigned role to the ART on the subject of port concessions: "I would like to point out - specifies Zacchaeus in the report - the recent involvement of the Authority in the definition of the plans schemes economic and financial of port concessionaires, finalized, between the other, the determination of an appropriate duration of the concessions, as well as the definition of industry benchmarks. The role of the Authority in this area is provided for by the Guidelines adopted by decree of the Minister of Ministers of Infrastructure and Transport no. 110 of 21 April 2023, "on Detailed rules for the application of the Regulation governing the discipline of the for the granting of concessions of areas and docks, approved with Decree of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of in agreement with the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the 28th December 2022, n. 202". I emphasize that these guidelines constitute a necessary requirement to achieve the Milestone M3C2-2, enabling the disbursement of the third instalment of the PNRR. In this context, I think it is important to highlight how the assigned to the Authority in the context of Granting of port concessions are confirmed in the Powers and powers already consolidated by law Institutional. The involvement of ART, therefore - continues Zacchaeus with words that have strongly irritated the presidents of the Authorities of Harbour System - will favor the introduction of criteria transparent and certain for the granting of port concessions, while ensuring more efficient operation of to ensure the balance of interests of all parties involved (public and private entities). These functions, pending the independent nature of ART, they must be absolutely preserved, also and above all in view of the announced reform overall port system'.

The irritation evidently turned to anger. reading the concluding passage of the report in which Zacchaeus defines the role of the Transport Regulation Authority «as a real "garrison of legality" in the different contexts in which it operates: I think, for example - he specifies - the functions of the Authority in the context of tender, in the concession awards of state-owned areas, in the assignments of local and regional public transport services, and, more generally, the daily exercise of own institutional tasks'. Adding then that "the impartiality and technical skills gained in years nominate the Authority to assume a role of relevance in the supervisory actions on the economic sustainability of These investments constitute, undoubtedly, one of the elements of greater complexity for the political decision-maker".

On the basis of these statements, the Presidents of the Port System Authorities believe that it is "of All evidence is the presence of a - unacceptable - judgment of value on the role and work of the AdSP, presented as characterized by opaque and uncertain procedures, inefficient management, procedures with evident and widespread profiles of illegality. The presidents - reads a note from Assoporti, the association that represents them - recall that the current text of Law 84/94 (in Article 6 paragraph 4 letter e) attributes to the Authorities of Port system - therefore third by definition of the standard - "the exclusive administration of the areas and assets of the maritime property included in its own constituency", without any provision for supervision or supervision by third parties, not involved by any law in activities administrative and management of the same. Not relevant appears, also the reference to two other documents - the Regulation 202 of 28 December 2022 governing the issue of concessions of areas and docks and the Guidelines of the same (approved by DM 110 of 21 April 2023) - which are not, according to the general principles of our legal system, able to modify the the provisions of Article 6(4)(e).'

'In rejecting those considerations decisively, made publicly in a venue and on an institutional occasion - continues the note - the presidents of the AdSP firmly reiterate as the action of the Authorities themselves, whose tasks are entrusted by current legislation, is always oriented to operate according to the principles of transparency and impartiality, to guarantee fair and non-discriminatory access to port infrastructure. President Zacchaeus is therefore invited to rectify the own statements. In the absence of such correction, it will be evaluated to protect in all locations, the image, the correctness, transparency and impartiality of the work of the Italian ADSPs».