Today the Senate assembly approved bill no. 1055 relating to the framework law on freight terminals, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The measure, amended in drafting office, introduces a framework discipline that replaces the Law no. 240 of 1990. The text, consisting of eight articles, defines the freight village as a strategic infrastructure of interest and establishes a national committee for intermodality with advisory functions; the Minister of Infrastructure will carry out the reconnaissance of the existing freight terminals and will approve a general plan for intermodality; The managers operate in private regime, with the possibility of acquiring the Ownership of areas.

The maximum number of freight terminals will be 30, with priority to the most relevant projects. Among the changes made by the 8a Commission, the definition of subjects has been added managers of the freight village; Removed the baseline the three-year update of the list of managing entities; it is the financial allocation for projects has been increased of construction and development of freight terminals and introduced the possibility for infrastructure managers to adapt the latest connections at their own expense mile.

The Unione Interporti Riuniti (UIR) welcomed with satisfaction the approval by the Senate of the framework bill on freight terminals, which - the association underlined - represents A fundamental step towards overcoming Law No. 240 of 1990, no longer adequate to the needs of the sector. "The proposal - highlighted the president Matteo Gasparato and the deputy vice-president Gianpaolo Serpagli - acknowledges largely the vision promoted by the UIR, aimed at giving the Italian interport system a modern regulatory framework, and consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals and intermodality. Among the positive aspects, it is worth mentioning the acceptance of some amendments proposed by the association and the interpretative clarifications emerged after a discussion with the Office of the Ministry of Infrastructure".

Among the main innovations of the measure - specified the UIR - the recognition of freight terminals as strategic infrastructures of the country system, the definition of "interport", the simplification of procedures, the introduction of objective criteria for the identification of new freight terminals - conceived as sustainable hubs, equipped with facilities for renewable energy and certified energy efficiency systems - and a detailed survey of the existing freight terminals, to update and enhance its functions.

The Unione Interporti Riuniti noted that, in a context of increasingly competitive international law, this law represents a concrete opportunity to strengthen the role of strategic strategy of Italy in Euro-Mediterranean logistics, enhancing a network that already sees six freight terminals Italians among the top fourteen in Europe.

The UIR hoped for a rapid conclusion of the process parliamentary parliament in the Chamber of Deputies and the start of an implementation phase that can effectively translate the principles of the law into concrete measures, capable of supporting development, sustainability and the territorial balance of the national interport system.