Italy: in Veneto sussidiariety becomes law

The region revolutionizes social cooperation with a new legislation. The peculiarity of its itinerary is to be emphasized. The text has been written down by Confcooperative Veneto, and in someway we can speak of it as a popular initiative for it bottom up charateristic. Law proposal did not face any hamper in Commission and has been approved by the all political parties without any rectification of the proposed text, to the great satisfaction of the promoters. ?We have been working?, says Ugo Campagnaro, president of Federsolidaret ? Confcooperative Veneto, ?for almost seven years, making a comparision between existing laws at regional, national and communitarian level?. Sussudariety is the key-word of the new legislation: it is enough to read article number 1, stating that Veneto recognises ?relevant value and public purpose? of over 500 social cooperatives that work ?on the general behalf of the community?. ?Thanks to this law? ? Campagnaro goes on to say ? ?we became a major actor in individual services programming and discrict plan coordination?. But change also lies in enlarging the number of position reserved for disadvantaged categories in social cooperatives, thus giving a chance to jobless, migrants and single parents, making Veneto the first italian region to acknowledge 2204/2202 UE regulation. Moreover the new norm takes into account the opportunity to directly entrust social services to cooperatives with certain conditions. They will not have to run for call for tenders. ?This law?, explains Luca Fazzi, professor of sociology at Trento University, ?would not have been possible without certain chateristics special to Veneto such as a culture of sussidiariety or cooperation rooted in the local community. Without any doubt we must also pay attention to a careful political class and to cooperative? manageering capable of understanding the role they could play in social welfare?. There are three issue that make the law an unicum at a national level. First, valueing social cooperation not for its giuridical status but for its competitive abilities. Secondly, a modern conception of sussidiariety, in which public enterprise recognises the non instrumental role of cooperation without however giving up its controlling activity. At last we must stress the attention to cooperatives? growth through innovation and professional training. Despite the good result, social cooperatives of Veneto don?t think game is over. ?We are waiting for operative instructions and, by the end of the year, a new legislation for district plans?, concludes Campagnaro. ?We?re keeping our committment high?.