The Italian government recently passed a set of laws referred to as the ‘Decreto del fare’, in an attempt to simplify day-to-day life and free up resources to encourage the country’s growth and development. It is hoped that the new measures will lower bureaucratic costs, encourage foreign investment and facilitate recovery in key economic sectors such as construction as well as making savings in the range of 500 million euro per year. Here is a quick guide to what the Getting Things Done law actually does:
1. Fines for administrations that fail to observe timescales for red tape. Citizens will be entitled to 30 euro compensation per day (up to 2,000 euro in total). Effective immediately for business start-up applications, this will extend to other bureaucratic procedures within 18 months.
2. Guaranteed time frames for granting building permission, even in cases of environmental and cultural constraints.
3. Simplified formal work-related obligations. Less paper, better safety in the workplace. More frequent checks of work equipment.
4. Simplified citizenship procedures. Non-Italians or stateless persons born in Italy may apply for Italian citizenship with documents proving that they have resided in the country since birth (e.g. medical or school records): entitlement to citizenship no longer depends on parents’ nationality.
5. Simplified bureaucracy for maternity leave, healthcare, privacy, fire prevention and residency.
