TRIESTE – The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region will write to the Ministry of Infrastructure to unblock the issue of abandoned boats, while the new 2026 calls for the boating sector will be published by the summer.
The announcement came from regional councillor for Productive Activities and Tourism Sergio Emidio Bini, speaking in Monfalcone at the opening of the conference dedicated to boating. At the centre of his speech was the need to address a number of still unresolved critical issues, in particular that of the so-called “ghost boats”.
On this point, Bini explained that the Region has already made tools and resources available, but that the current national regulatory framework does not allow rapid and effective action. For this reason, an official communication to the Ministry of Infrastructure is expected shortly, in order to launch a technical discussion. The objective is to identify operational solutions, also drawing on European models such as the French one, based on faster procedures.
Alongside this institutional step, the councillor also indicated the next operational deadlines. The new regional calls for 2026 will be published by the summer and will be aimed in particular at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector. They will involve non-repayable grants, already used in previous programming periods to support refitting work and investment in marinas.
According to the Region, the first resources allocated have already produced results, especially in the modernization of boats and recreational boating infrastructure. However, the issue of managing wrecks and abandoned units remains open, with implications both environmentally and operationally.
In his speech, Bini also claimed credit for the regulatory work carried out by the regional administration, underlining that Friuli Venezia Giulia is the first region in Italy to have approved a Consolidated Law on boating. The law is designed to make access to support tools simpler and more direct and to provide an organic framework for a sector considered strategic within the Blue Economy.
Lastly, the link between boating and tourism was reaffirmed, identified as one of the main drivers of the regional economy, with direct effects on employment and local supply chains.