Towards DEFR 2027-2029: Sinibaldi calls for the centrality of Municipalities and multi-level governance for the next programming cycle

(Rome, 6 May) The event “Towards the DEFR 2027-2029” was held at the Lazio Region, providing an opportunity for discussion between institutions, social partners, and territorial representatives. The president of ANCI Lazio, Daniele Sinibaldi, began his speech by acknowledging the Region's work in balancing its budget, emphasising how this achievement now allows for a different DEFR compared to previous years. The president then addressed the topic of European cohesion policy 2028-2034, calling on the Government to define a clear Italian position and to establish a consultation table that ensures structured participation from the Regions. In line with the document from the Regions and Autonomous Provinces of 1 April 2026, Sinibaldi reiterated the need to maintain cohesion as the central pillar of the EU budget, preserving multi-level governance and the place-based territorial approach, thereby guaranteeing certain resources for local realities.
Economically speaking, the picture in Lazio is mixed: whilst total exports to the US grew by 54% — driven by the pharmaceutical sector — SMEs recorded a 13.6% decline in the same market, whilst the manufacturing sector has lost around 5,000 businesses since 2019. Added to this is a birth rate of 6 per thousand, which is below the national average. The priority areas identified for the 2027–2029 Regional Development Framework (DEFR) concern business competitiveness, the link between training and employment, access to services for families and demographic policies, with concrete proposals including a reduction in healthcare contributions, measures to tackle the cost of living and a revolving fund for PhD students.
Central to the intervention is the theme of the administrative capacity of the Municipalities. The closure of the PNRR phase on 30 June demonstrates that local administrations have been able to spend the assigned resources: for Sinibaldi, this heritage must be valued and integrated with the Region to generate widespread development, with particular attention to the internal areas, the border zones with the ZES regions and medium-sized cities, which in Lazio can play a driving role around the capital.