Italy and the European Union: selected sources

From 1 July 2014, Italy will take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. We have gathered some useful information sources about the country to give a general overview on Italian politics and legislation, as well as its relation with the European Union. A list of the main think tanks on European affairs located in Italy is annexed to the document.

1. General Information

1.1. Overview

• 

  Italia.gov.it, is the Italian portal for citizens. Created by the Department for Innovation and Technologies, in cooperation with the Public Administrations and Bodies which provide citizens with services, it presents itself as a “unitary, intuitive and rapid, access point to online information and services”. It is a meeting point for over 3.000 sites of the Italian Public Administration, with more than 1.000 pages of information and services.

• Impresa.gov.it the same as above, conceived for enterprises and those who want to create businesses

1.2. Administration

Presidente della Repubblica (President of the Republic)

• Presidente della Repubblica (Italian Presidency official site)

Governo (Government)

• Governo (Italian Government official site)
  • Struttura (Structure)
  • Ministeri (List of ministries with corresponding links)
  • Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri (Presidency of the Council of Ministers)

Parlamento (Parliament)

• Parlamento (the Italian Parliament is composed by two Chambers)
  • Camera dei Deputati
  • Camera dei Deputati – Portale storico
  • Senato della Repubblica

Other Bodies

• Organi costituzionali (Constitutional bodies)
• Amministrazioni pubbliche regionali e locali (Regional and local governments)
• Organi garanti di nomina parlamentare (Authorities appointed by the Parliament)
• Forze armate e di polizia (Armed forces and Police)
• Autorità, Comitati, Commissioni (Other Authorities and Committees)
• Enti Pubblici e Altre Istituzioni (Other Public Bodies and Institutions)

1.3. Italy and Europe

Governo (Government)

• Dipartimento per le politiche comunitarie (Department for European Affairs)
  • Banca dati delle direttive comunitarie (Database of national measures transposing Community legislation)
  • EUR-INFRA Banca dati delle procedure di infrazione (Database of the infringiment procedures)
  • Legge comunitaria (Annual national framework law implementing Community Law)
• Rappresentanza permanente d’Italia presso l’Unione Europea (Permanent Representation of Italy to European Union)
• L’Italia nell’Unione Europea (website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EN)
• Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze: Rapporti Finanziari UE (page on the economic relations between Italy & EU)

Senato della Repubblica (Upper House)

• XIV Commisione: Politiche dell’Unione Europea (page of the European Affairs Committee)
• Affari europei (page about European Affairs)
• Documentazione (Dossiers of the Office on European Affairs)
• Banca dati dei progetti comunitari (database of EU legislative procedures ) )
• Dossier di documentazione

Camera dei Deputati (Lower House)

• Il Parlamento Italiano e l’Unione Europea (Italian Parliament and European Union)
• XIV Commissione: Unione Europea (page of the European Affairs Committee)
• Temi dell´attività parlamentare della XIV Commissione: Unione Europea (Thematic pages on EU affairs)
• I dossier dei servizi di documentazione

Il Parlamento Europeo in Italia (European Parliament Information Office in Italy)

Rappresentanza della Commissione Europea in Italia (European Commission Representation in Italy)

1.4. Statistical Sources

• ISTAT Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (EN)

2. Legislation

2.1 EU Legislation in Italian

EUR-LEX

Trattati (Treaties)

Repertorio della legislazione comunitaria in vigore (Directory of Community legislation in force)

Legislazione comunitaria riguardante l’Italia (EU law with relevance for Italy)

Gazzetta ufficiale dell’Unione Europea (Official Journal of the European Union)

Sintesi della legislazione dell’UE (Summaries of EU Legislation)

2.2. Constitution

Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana (Italian Parliament site, versions avialable in: IT, FR, EN)

Leggi costituzionali (Constitutional Laws, IT) [On the right side, under the menu “Scegli tipologia” please select “Leggi Costituzionali”]

2.3. National Legislation

Normattiva ; Starting year of coverage: at the moment of writing (February 2011), the consolidated text is available for law in force since 1946; the database in its final version will include the entire body of state law (laws, law decrees, legislative decrees, and other numbered acts), since the birth of the Italian State, i.e. 1861; Languages: Italian ; Access: Free. Normattiva contains the texts of national laws updated in real time.

The laws in the database “Normattiva” can be viewed in three ways:

• in their original text, as published in the Official Journal;
• in their “consolidated” text, i.e. how it is actually in force at the date of consultation of the database;
• in the text in force at any date specified by the user.

Search functionalities will be progressively enriched. The search system available is very simple: acts can be searched either by their numbers, or by words contained in the title or in the entire text of the law.

Gazzetta Ufficiale (Italian Official Journal) ; Starting Year of Coverage: text format 1988; graphic format 1946 until 1988; Languages: Italian ; Access: Free. Published by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato it provides with full text or the PDF version of all the series (Generale, Corte Costituzionale, Regioni e Comunità Europee) of the Italian Official Journal since 1988. Updated daily.

2.4. International agreements and multilateral treaties

Bilateral and multilateral treaties (EN) by European External Action Services

Archivio dei trattati internazionali (IT) Ministry of Foreign Affairs

3. Most relevant Research Institutes and Think Tanks

3.1. European Affairs

Banca d’Italia
[Bank of Italy]
Economics, research and international relations
Publications

Centro studi investimenti sociali (CENSIS)
[Centre of Studies on Social Investments]
CENSIS has gained the reputation of being one of the most prestigious national research institutes in social sciences and economics. The CENSIS approach can be traced back to the 1950’s, when economic growth required Italy to identify new methods of social research and social investment. English version

Centro Studi di Politica internazionale
[International Politics Studies Centre]

European University Institute
The European University Institute (EUI) carries out research in a European perspective (basic research, comparative research and Community research) in history, law, economics, political and social science.

ItalianiEuropei – Fondazione di cultura politica
[EuropeanItalians – Political Culture Foundation]Italianieuropei is a Foundation established in 1998 with the aim of promoting a Europe-minded political culture and of bringing to the fore new leaders in the various public arenas: politics, business, public administration and culture. English version

Istituto Affari Internazionali
[Institute of International Affairs]
The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) was founded on 11 October 1965 on the initiative of Altiero Spinelli, its first director. The Institute’s main objective is to promote an understanding of the problems of international politics through studies, research, meetings and publications, with the aim of increasing the opportunities of all countries to move in the direction of supranational organisation, democratic freedom and social justice. English version

Istituto Universitario di Studi Europei
[University Institute of European Studies]
Founded in 1952 by several of Turin’s leading institutions, the University Institute of European Studies was assigned the central mandate of fostering international relations, and European integration in particular, through a wide range of activities. English version

Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale
[Institute for International Politics Studies]
ISPI research activity is aimed primarily at analysis of the political, strategic and economic dynamics of the international system with the double objective of making well directed and informed policy selections. Results of the research are given out through publications and events. Analysis is focused on themes particularly interesting for Italy and its international relations. English version