The Reform of the Port System Authorities in Italy

Paolo Malaguti

The Reform of the Port System Authorities in Italy

Key words: Port System Authorities (PSA), National Coordination Conference, maritime cluster, President PSA, Customs Agency, Management Committee of Port System Authorities, TEN-T, logistic integrated system

Abstract:
Recently the Italian Government has adopted a new regulation of the Italian Port Authorities under the law no. 124 of 7 August 2015 in order to implement the European Union’s transport policy as well as to improve the strategic maritime logistic sectors and attracting investments. The 58 Italian ports have been organized into 15 new Port System Authorities (PSA) with the cooperation by the National Coordination Conference under the supervision of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport. The achievement of the aforementioned objectives was pursued by the Government through four key points: the introduction of strategic decision-making centres, administrative reorganization, bureaucratic simplification, and the promotion of other actions for logistics and ports. The tasks of the new Port System Authorities, which represent the nodes of the TEN-T Corridors, a logistics network integrating maritime, road and air transports, are: a) guidance, planning, coordination, and control of port operations and services, concessionary activities and other commercial and industrial activities carried out in ports and territorial districts as well as ordinance powers in safety and hygiene at work; b) ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the common parts in the port area, including that for the maintenance of the seabed; c) entrustment and control of activities aimed at supplying services of general interest to port users for valuable consideration, with the exception of port operations and services strictly connected to said operations; d) coordination of administrative activities carried out by public bodies and bodies within the ports and in the state-owned maritime areas included in the territorial district of the Authority; e) the exclusive administration of the areas and assets of the maritime state property included in their own districts; f) promotion of the forms of connection with the port and inland logistics systems.

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