Today, 16 September 2024, the first meeting of the CNEL National Productivity Committee took place. The meeting was opened by the institutional greetings of President Renato Brunetta. This was followed by the speech of Mario Nava, DG of Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission. It was also attended by Daria Perrotta, State Accountant General. The works were coordinated by Carlo Altomonte, CNEL Councillor and President Delegate of the National Productivity Committee.
BRUNETTA: MORE PRODUCTIVITY WITH SOCIAL COHESION AND INCLUSION
“The Italian Productivity Board, a body wanted by the EU and already established in all European countries, starts today at CNEL”, said President Brunetta. Italy comes last. But we are finally starting, with an endogenous measure of the CNEL, while the EU would like a regulatory act. We start seriously, with the hope that the legislative measure will also come. Europe requires the Productivity Committee to be entrusted to a third party, which is why it was set up at CNEL, the home of intermediate bodies. As Bank of Italy Governor Fabio Panetta said, it is with social cohesion, with inclusion, with rights that we can achieve more growth and productivity. There is also a redistributive issue that must not be forgotten: a fair and sustainable distribution of productivity gains must be ensured”.
NAVA: INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY COMES FROM UPGRADING SKILLS, EFFICIENT WELFARE AND INVOLVEMENT OF INTERMEDIATE BODIES
“Over the last 10-15 years, the labour market in Europe has changed dramatically. There was an oversupply, now there’s not. That’s why the productivity issue has become a question not only of efficiency but of volume. In Italy, productivity has been declining for several years. We have to make it possible for everyone to work, and for this it is essential to ensure a constant upgrading of workers' skills, the strengthening of social services and welfare, and also the involvement of intermediate bodies. That’s how we can encourage productivity. Fabio Panetta and Mario Draghi also stressed this recently. What CNEL is doing is therefore very important. Europe is fully aware of the role of intermediate bodies. The Productivity Committee can be of great help, both in analysing and testing new measures, which can then be turned into reforms. I’m also thinking about the issue of pensions. Every year we lose one million workers in Europe due to retirements. It is crucial to avoid any impact on the sustainability of the system. We must necessarily tackle these issues together with the social partners”.
ALTOMONTE: DIALOGUE WITH SOCIAL PARTNERS IS ESSENTIAL
“Establishing the National Productivity Committee at the CNEL is a very significant step. We have set up a highly qualified working group, which will initially focus on issues where policy failure is most at risk. The Committee will produce periodic updates, conveying the proposals emerging from the studies and research papers. The role of the CNEL as a place of real involvement of intermediate bodies is thus confirmed. Dialogue with social partners is essential when it comes to productivity”. This was said by Councillor Carlo Altomonte, president of the CNEL National Productivity Committee, whose first meeting took place today at Villa Lubin.
TASKS OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee was set up at CNEL by Presidential Determination No. 69 of 10 July 2024, following amendments to the Rules of the bodies, organisation and procedures. The set-up is consistent with the Recommendation of the Council of the European Union of 20 September 2016 (2016/C 349/ 01). The establishment of the Committee comes after a process already started in the previous Term, which saw the preparation and approval in the Assembly of a special Bill. The Assembly of the 11th Term, at the instigation of President Renato Brunetta, took preparatory and necessary actions for its establishment, defining its tasks and objectives. The Committee carries out analysis, research and evaluation of the productivity of the national economic system to suggest policies and reforms to improve the country's competitiveness, from a national and European perspective. Moreover, it is responsible for maintaining institutional relations with its counterparts in other European countries.
COMPOSITION
The National Productivity Committee of the CNEL is composed by experts with proven professional and qualified experience and acknowledged independence. Currently, the Committee's members are CNEL councillor Carlo Altomonte (acting as president) and external experts Maria De Paola, Vincenzo Galasso, Anna Giunta, Cecilia Jona-Lasinio, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Alessandra Proto and Fabiano Schivardi. Representatives of the Bank of Italy and the National Institute of Statistics are also members of the Committee. For Bank of Italy it was present Dr Roberto Torrini, for Istat Dr Stefano Menghinello. Alessandro Turrini, Head of Unit at the European Commission's DG Economic and Financial Affairs and contact person for the Productivity Boards, also took part in today's meeting as an observer.