Budget 2021: all measures and allocations for ports and maritime transport in Italy

The funds allocated already by the last Relaunch Decree to port authorities (10 million for 2020)

The new 2021 Budget Law is running fast towards its final approval and entry into force scheduled for January 1. After the go-ahead in the Chamber, where the Government has placed its trust, and the subsequent passage to the Senate on Sunday 27, again with an armored text, there is no more room to make changes.

The final version

The final version, as far as ports and maritime transport are concerned, practically reflects the first draft that SHIPPING ITALY had already anticipated in mid-November. All attempts made to amend the text, adding beneficiaries and appropriations, have not been successful.  

Except for a different number with which some articles have been identified, the chapter entitled “Measures relating to infrastructure, transport and sustainable mobility” in a nutshell provides the following.

The funds allocated already by the last Relaunch Decree to port authorities (10 million for 2020) and to shipping companies operating with minor ships in the tourist transport sector (5 million for 2020) are increased by a further 68 million euros in 2021. Of these, 63 million go to compensate the Port System Authorities, even partially, for the lost revenue, in particular deriving from port rights, due to the decline in passenger and cruise passenger traffic; 5 million in 2021 will instead compensate, even partially, shipping companies operating with minor ships in the tourist transport sector by sea and for inland waters for a decrease in turnover equal to or greater than 20 percent.

Maritime cabotage services

Paragraph 119 of Article 119 provides that cruise ships registered in the International Register may carry out maritime cabotage services until 30 April 2021, in derogation from the rule that excludes ships registered in the international register. 

Paragraph 3 extends until 30 April 2021 to shipowning companies that carry out cabotage activities the exemption from social security and welfare charges provided for shipowners and personnel registered in the international register, setting the new spending limit at 35 million euros for the year 2021. 

Paragraph 4 intervenes on the same decree by increasing the endowment of the Fund (established up to now at 50 million euros), with an additional endowment of 20 million euros for the year 2021, “aimed at compensating the shipping companies that operate with flag ships Italian, registered in the registers as of January 31, 2020, used in the transport of passengers and combined passengers and goods by sea, also on a non-exclusive basis, for the entire year, with reference to the reduction in tariff revenues relating to passengers transported in the period from 23 February 2020 to 31 December 2020 compared to the average of revenues recorded in the same period of the previous two years “. 

Paragraph 5 provides for measures to support the port terminal sector serving the disembarkation and embarkation of people, in consideration of the damage suffered by the same due to the onset of the epidemic from Covid19 and provides for the establishment, at the Ministry of Infrastructure and transport, of a fund with an initial endowment of 20 million euros for the year 2021.

-Called ferrobonus 

The paragraph dedicated to stimulus measures for combined transport provides for the allocation of an additional 25 million euros for the year 2021, as well as 19.5 million euros for the year 2022 and 21.5 million euros for the year 2023, to finance the so-called “marebonus”. In addition to this, the allocation of 25 million euros for the year 2021, 19 million euros for the year 2022 and 22 million euros for the year 2023 is expected to finance the so-calledferrobonus”. “”.

Finally

Finally, the establishment of a fund aimed at the removal of abandoned ships in ports has also been confirmed. 

Among the few amendments approved during the parliamentary process, there is one that renews also in 2021 the allocation of 4 million euros for the contribution that the AdSPs can pay to the provider of port work for the fewer days worked than corresponding month of the previous year. 

In addition to this there is also an article that “authorizes the expenditure of 4 million euros for the year 2021, 5 million euros for the year 2022 and 6 million euros for the year 2023 for redevelopment of the port of Reggio Calabria, in order to facilitate the mobility of passengers and connections with the Port of Messina “. 

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