One fund for the recovery of wild animals and one for the reclamation of orphaned sites. The last two days have certainly not been a rest for the Italian Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa who has placed two very important steps in safeguarding our territory and the fauna it contains.
The minister himself announced the approval of the budget law on Thursday in the Senate, which also includes the establishment of a fund for the recovery of wildlife, through his Facebook page. The fund provides one million euros a year starting in 2021 to support the recovery centers, which work every day to safeguard wildlife.
“The budget law was approved yesterday in the Senate and with it many rules in favor of our animal friends. One of these is the fund for the recovery of wildlife – writes Costa on social media – I thank the parliamentary work and especially Paola Deiana and Carmen Di Lauro for this amendment that I fully agree with. One million a year from 2021 to save the wildlife of which our country boasts a large quantity and diversification. We are one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in Europe and we must protect it. The third sector that does so much for the protection of wild animals, often managing recovery centers with enormous difficulty, are no longer alone. The state recognizes an important role in defense of the unavailable assets of the state. Closing 2020, a bad year without a shadow of a doubt, with good news is what was needed. Happy end 2020 and good start 2021 to all of you and all animals!”.
Moreover, yesterday, the Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa signed the decree that allocates 105 million euros to the reclamation of orphan sites. These are all those areas where the person responsible for the pollution cannot be identified or does not fulfill the requirements for remediation.
“There are places in Italy – explains Minister Costa -, unfortunately many, which are not sites of national or regional interest, where the environment has been attacked and no one has yet dealt with reclamation”. The funds will be divided into five annuities, between 2019 and 2024 and spread across the various regions.
“We have invented a new legal category – adds Costa -, approved a law and today, after so many years, the Italian Republic recognizes that there are many abandoned places to be reclaimed: orphan sites. I signed this decree after negotiating with the Regions and giving them the power to identify these sites. And we have provided the economic resources to solve this problem”.
