According to Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, current rules tied to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) fail to align with the country’s specific national production needs.
The Dispute Over Hydroelectric Concessions in Valtellina
The future of large-scale hydroelectric derivations took center stage at a public meeting in Morbegno, organized by the provincial coordination of Forza Italia Sondrio. According to reporting from local coverage, the event brought together Minister Pichetto Fratin and Massimiliano Salini, a member of the European Parliament and vice-president of the European People’s Party, to address local municipal leaders.
Valtellina serves as a central hub for Italy’s national hydroelectric generation, placing the province of Sondrio at the center of a high-stakes economic, environmental, and political debate. As numerous concessions approach expiration, local officials are pressing for regional interests to be prioritized in future management frameworks. Patrizio Del Nero, the mayor of Morbegno, emphasized during the meeting that host communities must retain adequate benefits and economic returns from the natural resources located within their boundaries, pointing to the precedent set by Valle d’Aosta.
Government Stance and European Union Negotiations
Addressing local concerns, Minister Pichetto Fratin maintained that no division exists between regional stakeholders and the national government. According to the minister’s remarks reported from the Morbegno gathering, the state is working directly with Brussels to resolve compatibility issues surrounding concession renewals.
The Ministry points to rulings from the European Court of Justice and alternative regulatory models adopted by other member states, such as France, which modified its own concession framework. The objective is to satisfy European competition rules without penalizing local territories that anchor Italy’s renewable energy infrastructure. The ongoing talks also intersect with broader EU discussions regarding the Water Resilience Strategy and the application of the Bolkestein Directive, which dictate how public resources and concessions are managed.
The Call for Reciprocity in EU Procurement
Massimiliano Salini outlined the European dimension of the dispute, noting that while competitive auctions aim to guarantee market transparency, Italy risks enforcing rules that other European countries apply differently. Salini called for strict reciprocity within the European Union, arguing that Italian companies must be allowed to compete on equal terms abroad if foreign firms can bid on domestic infrastructure.
Without such balance, Salini warned that local investments could weaken and economic value generated by the hydroelectric sector could flow outside the region. He pointed to the upcoming revision of European public procurement rules as a vital opportunity to embed criteria for territorial protection and market reciprocity without closing off competition entirely.
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