European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in Italy

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) represent the main investment tool used by the member-states of the European Union (EU). For the period of 2014-2020, the EU allocated a total budget of EUR 454 billion. The ESIFs are used to sustain businesses throughout the members of the Community, including Italy. Such funds are used to increase the value of the competitiveness in the business environment, create new jobs and develop new products and services. Our team of lawyers in Italy can provide legal assistance on opening an ESIF.

ESIFs in Italy

Investors who want to open a company in Italy can receive financial support through the ESIF structures. In Italy, the local authorities implemented 74 programmes in the 2014-2020 period aiming at the development of the local market through the usage of ESIFs. So far, Italy allocated a total sum of EUR 42,77 billion from such funds, while the national investment in this sense was of EUR 30,96 billion.

For 2021-2027 Italy receives EUR 42.7 billion of EU cohesion funds (about EUR 75 billion with national co-financing, 49 programmes); in 2014-2020 the overall ESIF budget reached the value of EUR 73.73 billion. This sum is aiming to have positive effects on the following:

• creating new jobs;

• invest in research and innovation;

• environmental policies;

• increasing the participation on the labour market.

Businessmen should also know that amongst the European member-states which have received funding through ESIFs, Italy occupies the second position, after Poland, and our Italian attorneys who assist with setting up ESIF may provide more details on this sense.

The ESIFs structure in Italy

The entrepreneurs who are seeking to register a company in Italy should also know that the programme addresses to various types of economic fields and each country included in the programme had to present its priority fields.

The ESIFs are further categorized in five sub-domains, as follows:

• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF);

• European Social Fund;

• European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development;

• Cohesion Fund;

• European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (now the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund).

However, Italy, alongside with other 19 EU member states, benefited from another fund, which is the Youth Employment Initiative.

The highest sum received by Italy was in the case of the ERDF, for which EUR 20,75 billion was allocated.

We invite businessmen to contact our law firm in Italy for more details on opening a European Structural Investment Fund.