Sardinia is at the bottom of the European regions as regards the competitiveness index of 2019 and, in Italy, it is at the bottom of the ranking. The island ranks in 234th place, Lombardy in 146th place. These data confirm the objective difficulties linked to the island condition: in practice, a lower possibility of development.

The theme emerged during today's session of the Special Commission for the recognition of the principle of insularity, chaired by Michele Cossa (Sardinian Reformers). Giuseppe Fasolino, Councilor for the Budget, and Aldo Salaris, Councilor for Public Works, were heard in the hearing, with the aim of taking stock of the path of the bill being examined by the Chamber and to define the next steps to be taken so that the text does not remain on the card.

"Sardinia - said Cossa - is ever closer to obtaining the recognition of the principle of insularity, but we must be prepared to implement it in concrete projects and actions". The regional government is already working on the collection of data on the gap between the island and the other Italian and European regions to identify the lines of action to be proposed to the government during the meetings that will take place between the State and the Region, probably immediately after the election of the President of the Republic.

In particular, Cossa asked that the parliamentarian he chaired be involved in the preliminary phase of drafting the proposals, as underlined in a letter signed by him and by the president of the regional council, Michele Pais, and sent to the president of the region, Christian Solinas.

The European Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI, 2019), wanted by the European Commission to measure the points strengths and weaknesses of the regions that are part of the Union. The data is used to evaluate the "ability to offer an attractive and sustainable environment for companies and citizens to live and work", and highlights the objective difficulties of island regions such as Sardinia.

But the indicators taken into consideration also include the per capita product, which in 2018 sees Sardinia in 338th place among the 513 European regions, and per capita income, which places the island in 297th place compared to the EU regions ( 2017 data) and the specialization of work, "which sees the concentration in the tertiary sector mainly aimed at the public administration sector, confirming the low productivity in general and in the private sector in particular".

And the index relating to the level of innovation (Regional innovation Index RII) is not doing much better: the island is at the bottom of the Italian regions, especially in the indicator relating to process and product innovation, in the presence of companies innovative and innovative market systems. The only positive data relates to public sector expenditure on research and development, to which, however, there is a low expenditure, again on research and development, in the private sector.

As regards infrastructures, the index places Sardinia in 203th place among the European regions and among the last in Italy: a gap that mainly concerns the road and rail networks.

For the commissioner Fasolino, with the inclusion of the principle of insularity in the Constitution it will be possible to speak of the "rebirth of Sardinia", but he also invited everyone to ensure that the path of the text of the law is not blocked by any proposed amendments.

(Unioneonline / ss)

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