Launch of the Eurispes Observatory on Insularity
The (re)introduction in our Constitution of the principle of insularity (Article 119, paragraph 6) is recent, thanks to a popular initiative constitutional bill promoted by Sardinian citizens. It provides that the Republic recognises the peculiarities of the islands and undertakes to promote suitable measures to remove the disadvantages deriving from island status.
In Italy, the island phenomenon is very significant. There are approximately 800 Italian islands on which more than 7 million people live. Equally relevant is the island phenomenon at European level, with over 20 million inhabitants and as many as three EU Member States that are islands. What is lacking, however, is a definition of islands and also development models that are useful for imagining a full valorisation of these realities, which very often suffer from backwardness and depopulation.
«Within this framework, the Observatory on Insularity has been set up,» says Eurispes President, Prof. Gian Maria Fara, «with the aim of collecting useful documentation to promote possible development models that can contribute to relaunching the island condition, allowing it to become, from a penalisation, an opportunity». The Observatory also proposes to study foreign best practices in order to allow the institutions to undertake actions to relaunch and enhance our islands. «The idea is, therefore,» concludes Fara, «to also participate in the ascendant phase of standardisation on the subject, not just comment on things done (or not done)».
The Observatory will be coordinated by Prof. Aldo Berlinguer, Professor of Comparative Law at the University of Cagliari and will count on the participation of various authoritative experts in various disciplines, including Prof. Salvo Andò, former Rector and Professor of Comparative Public Law at the University of Enna “Kore”, ODIMED President; Prof. Gaetano Armao, Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Palermo, Rector’s Delegate for Insularity; Dr. Giampaolo Basoli, former Director General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport; Prof. Carla Bassu, Professor of Comparative Public Law at the University of Sassari; Eng. Biagio Bisignani, Director of the Urban Planning and Land Management Area of the Municipality of Catania; Prof. Giuliana Giuseppina Carboni, Professor of Comparative Public Law at the University of Sassari; Prof. Roberto Cellini, Professor of Political Economy and Director of the Department of Economics and Business at the University of Catania; Prof. Gianmario Demuro, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Cagliari; Prof. Tommaso Edoardo Frosini, Professor of Comparative Public Law and Constitutional Law at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples; Prof. Paolo La Greca, Professor of Urban Technique and Planning at the University of Catania, President of the National Centre for Urban Studies of the National Council of Engineers; il Prof. Rosario Lanzafame, Professor of Energy and Environmental Systems at the University of Catania; Prof. Orazio Licciardello, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Catania; Prof. Francesco Pigliaru, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Cagliari; Prof. Fabrizio Pilo, Professor of Electrical Systems for Energy at the University of Cagliari and Pro-rector delegate for Territory and Innovation; Dr. Antonio Pogliese, Chartered Accountant and President of the Centre for Documentation and Research on Risk Culture, Catania.
Other experts and institutional representatives dealing in various capacities with the subject have been invited to participate or will be shortly. The Observatory remains, in fact, an open and inclusive reality in which to welcome, with an interdisciplinary approach, experiences, skills and projects that can better protect and enhance our great island heritage.