Italy finalizes hemp commission roster as industry eyes piece of 10 million-euro budget windfall

Italy’s agricultural ministry has named four dozen government, regulatory and industry stakeholders to  a new working group for the country’s hemp sector.

According to a decree published last week, the working group is expected “to perform consultative and monitoring duties” for the hemp sector.

The commission’s 48 members include representatives from:

• The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
• The Ministry of the Interior.
• The Ministry of Health.
• The Ministry of Economic Development.
• The Ministry of Environment.
• The Customs and Monopolies Agency.
• The Ministry of Defense – Carabinieri Corps.
• Regional and provincial government representatives.
• Agricultural trade groups, cooperatives and organizations.
• Government agricultural agencies, including from the Agency for Disbursements in Agriculture; the Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of the Agricultural Economy; and the Institute for Agricultural and Food Market Services.
• The University of Rona la Sapienza and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
• Hemp sector associations and businesses.

Giuseppe L’Abbate

“It is the stakeholders in the hemp sector who will put the issues that need to be addressed on the table,”  Giuseppe L’Abbate, the undersecretary for agricultural policies, told Hemp Industry Daily. “We will certainly set goals, the first being how to use the resources in the budget law.”

Italy’s 2021 draft budget has earmarked an additional 400 million euros ($487 million) for the agricultural sector, including 10 million euros to fund the protection and revitalization of the beekeeping, brewing, hemp and nut sectors, the Terni-based outlet Corriere dell’Economia reported.

The budget bill is expected to win a vote of confidence from the government and be submitted to the Senate for a formal vote by Wednesday, Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera reported.

The new budget must be approved by Dec. 31.

“Part of the 10 million euros will certainly go to hemp,” L’Abbate said.