The maxi-amendment to the stability law, the latest act of the Berlusconi majority and a crucial point for responding to Europe's requests for economic reforms, will be presented today at 18,30 pm in the Senate's Budget Commission. The draft circulated in the last few hours dedicates substantial parts to the liberalization of local public services and energy tariffs.
The document provides that the entities entrusted with local public services can compete throughout the national territory in tenders for the award of the services they manage, provided that the public competitive procedure has been called or that the decision to proceed with the new assignment. In fact, the maxi-amendment reads: "With the same resolution, the local authorities evaluate the opportunity to proceed with the simultaneous assignment with tenders of a plurality of local services in cases where it can be demonstrated that this choice is economically advantageous". In the absence of a resolution, on the other hand, the local authority cannot assign exclusive rights to any subject. There is also a pro-user standard on the basis of which, in order to guarantee the raising of the management quality of local public services, the entrusted bodies are obliged to disclose the data relating to the qualitative targets of the service provided, the average price per user and the level of investments made.
The chapter concerning energy tariffs attributes a cardinal function to the Electricity and Gas Authority. It would have the task of verifying that the remuneration and incentive systems of the activities pertaining to regulated entities are in line with the values practiced in the European market for the same procedures. This control would also be carried out through monitoring of the specific infrastructures and would be aimed at containing the costs for energy supplies incurred by domestic consumers and businesses. Another step is focused on protecting the security of the electricity system and reducing system charges on energy prices. The pursuit of these objectives must be guaranteed by the fact that "the Regions and the autonomous Provinces ensure that the procedures and acts within their competence for authorizing development works of the electricity transmission and distribution networks are harmonized and consistent, also in terms of time , with the issue of authorizations for plants for the production of electricity from renewable sources".
