Requests sent by Italian companies toAntitrust to get the legality rating they doubled in 2014 compared to 2013, and "they continue to increase day by day even in the new year". The Authority communicates it in a note, recalling that since 20 February the provision that establishes the criteria for taking into account the legality rating in the granting of public financing and access to bank credit. The boom in applications was therefore predictable, also because of the procedure does not include administrative costs.
In 2013, when the AGCM Regulation came into force, there were 142 requests. In 2014, however, there were 402, for a total of 544 as of last December 31st.
“The rapidly growing trend – comments the Antitrust president, Giovanni Pitruzzella – confirms the validity and effectiveness of a reward mechanism based on transparency and free competition, which, together with the repression and punishment of crimes, is the best antidote against that hidden tax represented by corruption”.
Approved by Parliament at the end of 2012, the legality rating is the tool with which the Agcm assigns a score (from one to three “stars”) to virtuous companies that have a turnover of more than two million euros per year and comply with a series of legal and qualitative requirements.
per ottenere a "star", the owner of the company and the other managers must not have a criminal record for the crimes listed in the legislative decree n. 231 of 2001 and for the main crimes against the public administration, as well as for tax crimes. In addition, criminal proceedings for mafia-type crimes must not have been initiated against these subjects.
As far as the company is concerned, it must not have committed administrative offences, nor have it been convicted in the previous two years for antitrust and consumer protection offences. The company must then make payments and financial transactions over one thousand euros exclusively with traceable instruments.
To obtain a higher score, the Regulation indicates six other requirements: if half of them are met, they are obtained two "stars", while companies that meet all the requirements get the maximum score of three "stars".
The majority of requests come from the North (43,3%), compared to 22% from the Center and 31,7% from the South (South and Islands). Over 62% are concentrated in five regions, with Sicily in the lead (14%), followed by Lombardy (13,2), Veneto (13), Lazio (12,3) and Emilia Romagna (10,3, XNUMX).
