Italy - 53 FLAGs - 85.4 M€

Italian fisheries communities face several challenges, including increasing the competitiveness of small and micro enterprises; promoting employment and diversification opportunities for small-scale fishermen; ensuring balanced territorial development in fisheries areas, including facilitating recreational fishing and environmental conservation; and protecting the environment and cultural heritage. The 53 Italian FLAGs focus on the fisheries sector’s local production systems, promoting innovative fisheries products and processing, and supporting links with the agri-food sector.

CLLD Programme

CLLD Context:

Situated in southern Europe, in the Mediterranean basin, Italy has a population of almost 60 million people and a coastline that stretches for 9 136 kilometers.

Fisheries and aquaculture production represent around 5% of the country’s primary sector, but are more important in certain regions in the south. Sicily, for example, is the first region in terms of both the volume and the value of the catch, followed by Puglia and Veneto. Other regions with significant catch volumes include Marche, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Sardegna and Campania.

The implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in Italy has led to a significant reduction in fishing capacity, with the fishing fleet declining from 14 873 vessels in 2004 to 12 414 vessels in 2015 (a reduction of 16.5%).

Small scale fisheries account for a greater number of boats, around 65% of the vessels, but trawlers (20% of the fleet in terms of number of boats) account for 50% of the fleet´s kW and more than 60% of the tonnage.

There are a total of 25 767 people employed in the fisheries sector (2015, Italian National Research Council - PNRDA), generating a total revenue of €890 million (2015), from a total catch volume of 189 tonnes.

The aquaculture sector employs a further 1 937 FTEs, and is mostly made up by small enterprises with fewer than five employees.

The processing and marketing sector is significant, employing 5 223 FTEs, with family-run businesses accounting for about 70%.

Contact details of the managing authority can be found here.

More information about national EMFF programmes can be found here.

Axis 4 achievements (2007-2013):

In the previous programming period, Italy had a total of 43 FLAGs located in 13 of the 20 Italian regions –Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, Puglia, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Toscana, Liguria and the islands of Sardegna and Sicilia. Axis 4 projects contributed to reinforcing the competitiveness of fisheries areas by supporting the diversification of fishing and tourism activities in small fishing communities. Support was also provided for the improvement of infrastructure and services for small-scale fisheries.

CLLD objectives and challenges for 2014-2020:

Through CLLD, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) aims to improve living and working conditions in fisheries-dependent communities.

The main challenges to be addressed by CLLD in Italy’s fisheries areas in the coming years include:

Increasing the competitiveness of small and micro enterprises;
Promoting employment and diversification opportunities for fisherman and fisheries actors;
Ensuring balanced territorial development in fisheries areas, including facilitating recreational fishing and environmental conservation;
Protecting the environment and cultural heritage;
Encouraging new entrants to the fisheries sector.

To cope with these challenges, CLLD in Italy in 2014-2020 will focus on the fishery sector’s local production systems, promoting innovative fisheries products and processing, and supporting links with the agro-food sector. Examples of topics and activities are:

Economic and social diversification linked to changes in the fisheries sector;
Renewable energy sector development (production and energy savings);
Sustainable tourism;
Landscape, land use and biodiversity (plant and animal) care and protection;
Environmental and natural resource enhancement and management;
Cultural and artistic heritage linked to the territory;
Access to basic public services;
Inclusion of specific disadvantaged and marginal social groups;
Legal aid and social inclusion in high social exclusion areas;
Urban regeneration (creating services and inclusive spaces for the community);
Networks and smart communities.

In the current programming period, two new regions are implementing CLLD and both have selected one FLAG: Molise and Basilicata. Compared to 2007-2013, the total budget for CLLD has been increased (from €31.3M to €42.4M), and the average budget per FLAG is higher (from €1M to between €1.7M and €2.4).

Multi-fund CLLD in Italy

Puglia is the only region in which strategies will be multi-funded (EAFRD and EMFF). In the other regions, the strategies are mono-funded, although cooperation projects between LAGs and FLAGs are expected.

CLLD Budget

Total budget: 
€85 426 148
EMFF budget for CLLD: 
€42 713 074
Co-funding: 
€42 713 074
Proportion of CLLD in EMFF budget: 
10%
Number of FLAGs: 
53
Average budget per FLAG: 
€1 611 814

National Network

The national network has been set up in September 2017.

The budget foreseen is almost €3M and the network will be involved in the following activities:

Coordination and support to regional Intermediate Bodies;
Coordination and support to FLAGs;
Identification, collection and dissemination of good practices in Italy;
Information dissemination;
The exchange of experiences;
Developing and maintaining a projects database;
Creating synergies between the FLAG’s national network and the national rural network.

The beneficiaries of the national network activities are the Italian FLAGs, the regional authorities (intermediary bodies) and the national managing authority.

Click here for the National Network contact details.

The FLAGs and their areas

The regional authorities, in their role as Intermediary Bodies, are responsible for selecting FLAGs. Overall responsibility and coordination falls under the remit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies (www.politicheagricole.it)

Calls for FLAGs were launched in July 2016 in all regions, and the final approval of the first round of FLAGs was completed by the 29 October 2016.

Cooperation

For the EMFF funding period, 22 cooperation projects were reported by the managing authority by December 2021. Examples of projects include the development of a blockchain traceability system for small-scale fisheries, a network for marine litter management and a conservation project to safeguard protected species and fishing businesses. Other projects transferred Italy’s CLLD know-how beyond Europe, for example to Turkey in the Coop to Coast project, and to Tunisia through the Ensamble project.

For information on how cooperation was programmed and organised in Italy, click here.

FLAGs

Code	Name	Region	Surface area (km²)	Population	Population density (per km²)	Employment in fisheries*
IT-FVG-IT201	Friuli Venezia Giulia FLAG	Friuli Venezia Giulia	256	18656	73	393
IT-VEN-IT202	Venetian - VeGAL FLAG	Veneto	783	159579	203	1242
IT-VEN-IT203	Chioggia and the Po Delta FLAG	Veneto	619	80509	130	2825
IT-EMR-IT204	Emilia-Romagna Coast FLAG	Emilia-Romagna	689	187462	272	4347
IT-MAR-IT205	North Marche FLAG	The Marches	305	149891	491	916
IT-MAR-IT206	South Marche FLAG	The Marches	72	87628	1216
IT-MAR-IT207	Central Marche FLAG	The Marches	273	198478	726	708
IT-ABR-IT208	Pescara Coast FLAG	Abruzzo	34	121014	3522	285
IT-ABR-IT209	Blue Coast FLAG	Abruzzo	186	120045	67	1600
IT-MOL-IT210	Molise Coast FLAG		216	50148	232	420
IT-SAR-IT233	East Sardinia FLAG	Sardinia	1485	82170	55	764
IT-TOS-IT223	Etruscan coast FLAG	Tuscany	1479	143700	97	505
IT-BAS-IT211	Coast to Coast FLAG	Basilicate	1694	113331	67	42
IT-CAL-IT212	Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea FLAG	Calabria	564	105411	187	183
IT-CAL-IT213	The marine villages of Ionian Sea FLAG	Calabria	860	157096	183	463
IT-CAM-IT214	Landing of Ulysses FLAG	Campania	161	197082	1219	206
IT-CAM-IT215	Cilento Blue Sea FLAG		167	41847	250	200
IT-CAM-IT216	Ischia and Procida Islands FLAG	Campania	51	74561	1467	249
IT-CAM-IT217	Flegrea FLAG		60	119980	2000	266
IT-CAM-IT218	Ports of Velia FLAG		295	38202	130	98
IT-CAM-IT219	Golden Mile Coast FLAG	Campania	59	193356	4673	1130
IT-LAZ-IT220	Bolsena Lake FLAG		334	26097	78	116
IT-LAZ-IT221	Tirreno Pontino FLAG
IT-TOS-IT222	Silver Coast FLAG	Tuscany	499	33000	67	360
IT-TOS-IT223	Etruscan coast FLAG	Tuscany	1479	143700	97	505
IT-LIG-IT224	East Liguria FLAG	Liguria	239	165012	691
IT-LIG-IT225	Savonese FLAG	Liguria	331	189102	571	516
IT-SIC-IT226	Trapanese FLAG		443	199541	451	1797
IT-SIC-IT227	Due mari FLAG		1256	194781	155	525
IT-SIC-IT228	Castellamare and Carini gulfs FLAG		412	160600	390	364
IT-SIC-IT229	Sicily Islands FLAG	Sicily	249	27189	109	280
IT-SIC-IT230	Sun and Blue FLAG		868	148794	171	1850
IT-SIC-IT231	Etnea Coast FLAG
IT-SAR-IT232	North Sardinia FLAG	Sardinia	1947	124275	87	833
IT-SAR-IT234	West-Central Sardinia FLAG	Sardinia	1249	96907	98	931
IT-SAR-IT235	West-South Sardinia FLAG	Sardinia	1158	84563	73	591
IT-LAZ-IT236	North Lazio FLAG
IT-LAZ-IT237	Central Lazio Sea FLAG
IT-TOS-IT238	Northern Tyrrhenian Sea FLAG	Tuscany	1279	148401	108	372
IT-CAL-IT240	Stretto FLAG		149	84912	571	412
IT-CAL-IT241	Ionian 2 FLAG	Calabria	510	167230	328	489
IT-ABR-IT242	Trabocchi coast FLAG		330	133343	409	282
IT-PUG-IT243	Gargano multifund LAG	Apulia	1916	131282	69	398
IT-PUG-IT244	Daunofantino multifund LAG		771	196591	255	1071
IT-PUG-IT245	Ponte Lama multifund LAG	Apulia	232	171796	788	587
IT-PUG-IT246	South East Bari multifund LAG	Apulia	114	43825	384	144
IT-PUG-IT247	Trulli and Barsento multifund LAG	Apulia	15789	49246	312	174
IT-PUG-IT248	Itria Valley multifund LAG	Apulia	132	39913	303	105
IT-PUG-IT249	Alto Salento 2020 multifund LAG		665	136235	187	21
IT-PUG-IT250	Porta a Levante multifund LAG		289	36199	125
IT-PUG-IT251	Terra d'Arneo multifund LAG	Apulia	672	169853	253	297
IT-LIG-IT252	Il Mare delle Alpi FLAG	Liguria	850	136099	160	211

(*)according to the information received from the FLAG

Map

Publication date:

15/12/2021