The Umberto Terracini Multifunctional Structure has been inaugurated after energy efficiency and solar energy production works
A technical-operational meeting was held today in Ventotene to review the progress of interventions funded under the PNRR Green Islands measure, a programme by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security which allocates €200 million to integrated projects for small Italian islands.
The meeting was attended by the Prefect of Latina, the Director General of MASE Stefania Crotta, the Mayor of Rieti and President of ANCI Lazio Daniele Sinibaldi, a delegation from ANCI Toscana with representatives from the Island of Capraia, the mayors of Ventotene and Ponza, and the main project stakeholders, including ENEA, ENEL, and Politecnico di Torino.
The decisive role of ANCI Lazio
ANCI Lazio played a central role in the entire affair, supporting the island Municipalities throughout the entire implementation of the programme. The Secretary General, Luca Masi, detailed the activities carried out over these years in support of local administrations: an in-depth and continuous effort that made a difference in the Municipalities' ability to tackle the technical, administrative, and temporal complexities imposed by the PNRR. ANCI Lazio's contribution proved to be decisive in bridging the gap between available resources and the often-undersized structures of small and medium-sized Municipalities, ensuring tangible support at every stage of planning and implementation.
The President of Anci Lazio, Daniele Sinibaldi, conveyed the greetings of the entire community of mayors in Lazio, defining Ventotene and Ponza a “successful and won gamble”, and strongly reiterated the need not to lose the accumulated heritage of skills and human capital: «The phase will now open on how to maintain what we have managed to build in the territories and how to relaunch even further, because the programmes are not finished. There is the new European programming, there is the new regional programming: we must be able to grasp the objectives». Sinibaldi also reaffirmed ANCI Lazio's commitment to continue playing this support role in the upcoming programming phases, so that the experience gained becomes a structural model.
Inaugurated the Multifunctional Structure “Umberto Terracini”
A symbolic moment of the day was the inauguration of the Umberto Terracini Multifunctional Structure, which underwent a significant energy requalification project that equipped the building with an 80 kWh photovoltaic system. The inauguration represented a concrete example of how the interventions of the Green Islands programme translate into tangible results for local communities.
The round of construction sites
The Mayor of Ventotene, accompanied by the technical team, led those present on an inspection of the active construction sites on the island, explaining the work carried out to date and the projects still in progress of completion. An opportunity to see first-hand the progress of the interventions and the operational challenges linked to the specificities of the island context.
The Ventotene Model and the Role of the Prefecture of Latina
The Prefect of Latina has outlined the operational method adopted by the Prefecture in support of implementing bodies: from May 2024, Prefectures have been equipped with PNRR coordination hubs, tools that have made it possible to monitor critical issues, develop targeted action plans, and support territorial entities in meeting EU deadlines. The model developed in the Pontine territory — based on monitoring sheets, thematic working groups, and continuous dialogue — has been identified as a best practice to be extended to other island contexts.
MASE: encouraging results, targets will be met
The Director General of MASE, Stefania Crotta, expressed an overall positive assessment of the progress of the Green Islands initiative nationwide, confirming that the results are encouraging and that the planned targets will be met. She invited all involved Municipalities to continue their work with renewed commitment until the conclusion of the PNRR, emphasising how each completed intervention represents not only an achieved objective but a concrete and lasting transformation for island communities. Satisfaction with the results achieved was also expressed by the Prefect of Latina, who recognised the extraordinary commitment shown by local administrations in often difficult operational conditions.
Bilateral meetings: maximum support to overcome critical issues
The day concluded with bilateral meetings dedicated to the islands of Ventotene, Ponza, Isola del Giglio, and Capraia, with the aim of examining in detail the specific critical issues of each territory and ensuring the maximum possible support in the final phase of implementing the interventions. A direct and operational discussion that attests to the attention of the Ministry and the institutions involved towards the concrete needs of each individual island reality.
