"There is a river of money allocated by the European Union and we risk having to return, because the opening of the construction sites for the construction of works, whose projects are final and executive, is blocked by bureaucracy. Considering the technical time necessary for fulfilling and carrying out the work, there is a strong risk of not being able to meet the deadline of 2023 for reporting as indicated by the Community bodies. It is about 300 million euros for irrigation and land reclamation projects, and then another 300 for the same objectives for which calls for tenders have been issued for months ".

The worrying alarm was launched by Francesco Vincenzi, President of the National Association of Consortiums for the Management and Protection of the Territory and Irrigation Waters (ANBI), who spoke at the conference "The contribution of irrigation for the competitiveness of enterprises" agriculture in the context of the 2014-2020 CAP", an action co-funded by the European Commission as part of the 'Water Tour 2018' organized jointly with the trade unions FLAI-CGIL, FAI CISL, FILBI-UIL.

"This year - continues the President of ANBI - the basins are full of water, but represent the ability to retain only 11% of the rains fallen; the necessity of a National Plan of Reservoirs is evident, because 84% of that made in Italy agro-food sector, which represents 40 billion of exports, is a fundamental component of the total value of the 267 billion of agri-food production, where 3,300,000 people find employment".

"Agri-food quality and hydrogeological preservation contribute to that good territory, envied in the world; yet - adds Massimo Gargano, Director General of ANBI - there is still a national law against the excessive consumption of land where, instead, have already legislated, in an autonomous way, some Regions. The objective of our commitment - concludes Gargano - is to contribute, through a new model of development, to bring the two Italies closer together, making the gap between the North and South of the country shorter. "