Italy must integrate port reform and maritime governance

Napoleon stated `knowing the geography of a nation is knowing its foreign policy'. It follows that knowing the seas that surround a nation helps to provide a better understanding of its economic, environmental and even social policies

Italy’s maritime economy lacks the central oversight and organisation that benefit other European governments.

WITH over 8,000 km of coastline and a centuries-old maritime vocation with a capacity to produce wealth that is estimated at around 2.7% of gross domestic product, Italy is strategically located right in the centre of the Mediterranean, providing access to the European Union.

It boasts a shipbuilding industry of global importance with companies such as Fincantieri (for heavy shipbuilding) and Perini (for yacht and luxury shipbuilding). It also offers major attractions on cruise itineraries as well as providing a resource for coastal tourism.

Over 50% of goods entering and leaving Italy are handled by sea through its commercial ports.

Despite all this, however, Italy lacks a structured maritime policy both as regards ports and the sea as a resource for all types of sustainable economic activity.

The reform of ports and logistics adopted by means of legislative decree 169/2016 reorganised the 58 main Italian ports into 15 new Port System Authorities, but arguably did not respond in full to the needs of Italian ports.

Some observers argue that further reforms are required mainly to reduce the effect of bureaucracy that slows down the implementation of infrastructure projects and discourages public-private investments; and to facilitate dredging of channels to accommodate ever larger container ships and allow Italy’s container ports to remain competitive.

The geopolitical context of the Mediterranean is also very complex today.

There is a significant disparity in the level of political stability and economic prosperity between North Africa and western Europe.

Italy is the closest large EU country to North Africa on the central Mediterranean route for immigrants.

China is seeking to extend its commercial and geopolitical influence in the Mediterranean through massive investments in ports such as Piraeus in Greece and the interest it has shown towards the Italian ports of Genoa and Trieste.

In this scenario, which offers both some apparent threats but may also provide some huge opportunities, Italy could aspire to play a more central role and promote growth and co-operation policies within the Mediterranean economy.

This objective is only likely to be achieved through establishing appropriate political structures to develop integrated policies that would promote the sustainable development of the maritime economy.

Some European countries have regarded the maritime economy as having such importance that they have established policies and institutional bodies to consider its development in an integrated manner.

For example, Portugal has created a Ministry of the Sea to promote and strengthen the global governance of the oceans based on a holistic and collaborative approach.

The Ministry of the Sea is responsible for the co-ordination of maritime affairs, the promotion of a sustainable ocean economy, and the formation and monitoring of marine policies based on scientific knowledge, innovation and technological development.

An even more central role is given to the sea and maritime policies in France.

With its more dirigiste political culture, France has focused on developing an institutional structure in the form of its General Secretariat of the Sea (Secrétariat général de la mer, SGMer). This body, which was founded back in 1995, has the several main roles, including:

• Monitoring and evaluating maritime policy and exercise foresight in the sector;
• Ensuring the coordination of state action in relation to the sea and promotion of the action of maritime prefects and of government delegates;
• Co-ordinating the monitoring of laws and regulations relating to the sea;
• Preparing meetings of the Inter-ministerial Committee of the Sea (CIMer), which defines the government guidelines for maritime affairs and ensure that decisions are taken.

It could be argued that Italy, with its strong maritime heritage and central position in the Mediterranean, should, like France, establish a governance structure for maritime affairs under the direct control of the Prime Minister.

This would be responsible for tasks now entrusted to different ministries and would make Italian maritime policy more effective through greater co-ordination of the various maritime policies.

An organisation with responsibility for all aspects of Italian maritime policy, under the direct control of the Prime Minister, would not only benefit Italy, but given the central role the country plays in managing flows of immigrants between North Africa and the EU, would also provide benefits for the whole of the EU and the Mediterranean region.

After all, as the English poet Alexander Pope wrote: “The Sea unites the Countries it separates”.

First published on Lloyd's List website October 2019