Ministry of Economic Development Tito Bianchi Department for Development and Cohesion Policies Ministry for Economic Development of Italy Seminar "Territorial cohesion: what scales of policy intervention?, Bruxelles March Integrated Territorial Projects in Italian Cohesion Policy

Ministry of Economic Development has taken a clear territorial orientation seeks the contribution of local actors, adjusts to specific territorial needs and ambitions SF programming drives/catalyzes other forms of public expenditure for economic development at each territorial scale In this was done done mainly through Integrated Territorial Projects in the Italian South Since the mid 1990s, italian regional development Policy

Ministry of Economic Development Integrated Territorial Projects definition Composite project for the development of an area, which includes a set of different operations that all contribute, in interaction with each other, to a common development strategy, devised by local actors in response to concrete needs and opportunities Community Support Framework introduced in Italy….

Ministry of Economic Development Few Central–level guidelines provided by the Framework. Integrated Territorial Projects (ITP)… Must include operations that add up to an adequate critical mass; Must identify a core-objective, a centre of responsibility, a territory; should not amount to an additional funding line or measure, but represent a special mode through which existing program measures operate

Ministry of Economic Development Historic preservation Environment (restoring buildings, cleaning polluted sites) Infrastructure (Roads, telecommunications Tourist Info points) Productive sector (Support to local manufacturers of typical products) Human Resources (training in skills needed in the tourism sector) Measurable Expected Outcomes: Increased N. of visitors, Employment, reduced out-migration Example of an ITP focused on tourism development Unified Project Management (one municipal govt. chosen to lead the project) Operations of different nature CORE OBJECTIVE (Strategic idea: provides coherence, integration) Example: To increase cultural tourism

Ministry of Economic Development THEMATIC MAP OF ITPs: SECTOR FOCUS OF CORE OBJECTIVES

Ministry of Economic Development How multi-sector INTEGRATION of ITPs is made compatible with sectoral organization of Regional OPs REGIONAL PROGRAM mea sure PROJECTS INTEGRATED TERRITORIAL PROJECT

Ministry of Economic Development Two types of identification and selection procedures A: competitive, bottom- up B: negotiated, top down Municipalities associate. Prepare and submit detailed project proposal Regions established bidding criteria for municipalities and published a call for projects Municipalities jointly prepare project following Regional geographical, financial, and sectorial decisions Regions divide up all territory, aggregate municipalities, allocate funds ex-ante Regions appraise and approve projects, on the basis of project quality and other criteria Regions appraise and approve projects once they reach a quality threshold

Ministry of Economic Development ITPs approved by Region, sources of funding, and incidence on resources of EU Regional Operational programs

Ministry of Economic Development Example: ITP n.9 Region Puglia Core Objective : To consolidate and innovate the local productive system based on diffused manufacturing ITP Salentino-Leccese Territorial Area

Ministry of Economic Development Traditional garment- and shoe manufacturing base is in crisis. In late 1990s, municipalities associate to promote industrial diversification PA Modernization & informatization HR development: Vocational education, Graduate Masters Industrial Infrastructure & Logistics Business Missions, Tech. Dissemination & Forecasting MANUFACTURING SYSTEM ITP Salentino-Leccese Background Integrated Strategy

Ministry of Economic Development ITP Salentino-Leccese Main Operations Infrastructure Industrial Areas Worth

Ministry of Economic Development ITP Salentino-Leccese Main Operations Infrastructure Projects: Logistic Platform Worth I

Ministry of Economic Development ITP Salentino-Leccese Main Operations Projects in Vocational High Schools ESF: (apprenticeship, school to work) Worth

Ministry of Economic Development Subsidies to firms Investment (ERDF+ESF): Worth 9.2 M ITP Salentino-Leccese Main Operations 11 enterprises invested, their plans including training and industrial research. Sectors: Food processing, Pharmaceuticals, Bathroom Furniture, B to B Software, digital filing systems

Ministry of Economic Development The experience on integrated projects carries on in : Extends to both convergence and competitiveness regions; with less national level guidance, becomes less standard across regions; In most regions, integrated projects for urban settings follow different procedures from those designed for marginal areas

Ministry of Economic Development Concluding remarks: Structural Funds are compatible with sub-regional scale of economic development planning; Strength (I): sectoral lines of economic development intervention are reconciled at the local scale Strength (II): Local public institutions develop capacity to plan economic development in an integrated fashion; Covering all territories is overly ambitious Integrated terrritorial approach encounters some resistance, adds one level of coordination Cohesion programs should not build special ad-hoc institutions, but involve ordinary local governments