Confitarma's point of view on contracts for maritime services useful to ensure territorial continuity with Sardinia

'With regard to the use of vessels not exceeding 18 years of age of age, reported by both bills - has continued Grimaldi - it is worth remembering that even today, ships over 50 years of age are used in Sardinia years: therefore it would perhaps be a little exaggerated to request such a limit for lines in the Convention.' Confitarma's proposal is therefore to set the limit of 25 years of age for ships used on the lines in agreement, with vessels between 20 and 20 25 years of age who may present a certificate of eligibility issued by Port State Control or a regulatory body international certification certifying their suitability from the point of view of the safety and quality of the service.

In addition, according to Confitarma, certain requirements of calls such as frequency or speed required sometimes turn out not to be necessary, excessive and even in contradiction with the agenda national and European level on sustainability and reduction of co2 emissions. "We even go - he pointed out Guido Grimaldi - in the opposite direction, as they require to shipowners daily frequencies on lines where it might be enough a three-week service.' Also with regard to the cruising speed, which on several calls is required about 22 knots, confitarma would result in a increase in cost and a more than proportional increase in harmful emissions, while these lines could be served even with a speed of no more than 19.5 knots.

Recalling that "today the Ministry of Infrastructure and sustainable mobility, although beledly it has prepared of the calls for which calls have already been identified successful tenderers such as, for example, in the case of tremiti lines naples-cagliari-palermo, while for other lines from the calls do not the award has been reached, as for genoa-porto Torres, or even the race went deserted, as for the Civitavecchia-Cagliari-Arbatrax» guido Grimaldi has stressed that in any case "thanks to the work carried out by the italian shipowners, the market has not only failed but, at difference of the past, the Naples-Palermo lines, Ravenna-Brindisi-Catania, Livorno-Cagliari and Genoa-Olbia, are have all been guaranteed, served in the free market and without any contribution of the State. This - specified the representative of Confitarma referring to the previous management of the of the routes in agreement entrusted to tirrenia of the Onorato group Shipowners - saved around EUR 45 million compared to the previous €72 million per year paid out by the in favour of only one operator. This enormous saving - he noted Grimaldi - should be reinvested in a mixed model for the territorial continuity by supporting road hauliers sardinians or those who work for Sardinia through contributions equal to 100 euros per truck on board. Part of this saving instead it could be used on lines not subject to convention, as already with maximum tariffs set by the call and, in part, could be intended for Sardinian citizens, law enforcement agencies, doctors, healthcare professionals or categories in difficulties.'

During the hearing, the Director-General of Confitarma, Luca Sisto, also drew attention to the important role of carried out by the Italian fleet dedicated to cabotage trafficking of goods, in particular energy products, which contribute to ensure the "energy" continuity of the populations and industrial activities of the island. "These services, as a result of the liberalisation carried out at - recalled Sisto - have long been exposed to the competition from foreign operators who often benefit from economic and operational objectives granted by their respective countries. This situation - he denounced - is seriously jeopoing competitiveness italian companies in the supply sector energy sector, which is an important strategic asset for the country. It is therefore necessary for the legislator to open as soon as possible reflection on the subject in order to identify the most suitable, for example in France a proportion of these trades are national operators, in order to deal with the situation.'