After the adoption in first reading by the Senate on 2 June of the bill for the establishment of the Public Entity for the Trade and Industry of Corsica, which will take on the tasks and responsibilities of the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Corse, including the supervision of the management of ports and airports of the island, yesterday also the Assembly the other branch of the French Parliament, has adopted in First reading the text with 59 votes in favor and one abstention.

Presenting the bill, Deputy Jean Moulliere of the Horizons & Indépendants parliamentary group stressed that 'its rapid and final adoption is now essential to ensure public management and port and airport infrastructures while the airport concessions and the concession of the commercial port of Bastia, granted by the Corsican community to the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie expires on 31 December. The creation of a new Établissement Public du Commerce et de l'Industrie (EPCI) replacing the current Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie - explained Moulliere - aims to cope with this problem, allowing the reassignment of these concessions without holding a public tender, in accordance with the exemption provided for by the Public Procurement Code for the so-called quasi-régie regime".

The objective of the measure, in fact, is to prevent the expiry of the concessions on 31 December relating to the four Corsican airports and the port of Bastia, which had been granted to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2005 and extended in 2020 and 2024, will be taken over by private management. With the new EPCI - underlined Moulliere - it is planned to allow whereas the management and operation of these infrastructures for the Island of Beauty remain in public hands". "Airports and ports," he continued, "are essential for the Corsica, due to its insular nature and the remarkable importance of tourism for its economy: they represent almost the 39% of the island's GDP. They are also central to the issues of territorial continuity, which are the subject of a specific financial endowment by the State. Finally, these infrastructure is essential for employment and security. From here the need to align its management and operation to an approach of general interest".