Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Italy (Ratification: 1966)

Article 2 of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in its report. The National Plan for Social Interventions and Services 2021–23 (PNISS) incorporates the National Social Plan 2021–23 and the Plan to Combat Poverty 2021–23 discussed and approved in July 2021 by the Network for Social Protection and Inclusion, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Social Policy. The Government explains that the PNISS identifies priorities for the National Fund for Social Policies (FNPS) and its planning, distinguishing between more wide-ranging systemic actions and interventions focused on younger people. The National Child Guarantee Implementation Plan (PANGI) implements the Council of Europe’s recommendation of 14 June 2021, establishing a European Child Guarantee. The Government further refers to Mission 5 “Inclusion and Cohesion” of the National Recovery Plan (PNRR), whose component “Social infrastructures, family, community, and the tertiary sector” comprises three key “investments”: support for the vulnerable, models for the independence of persons with disabilities, and temporary housing and hostels. Moreover, the measures adopted to combat poverty include: (i) the Citizenship Income (RdC) adopted by Law No. 26 of 28 March 2019 and then superseded by Decree Law No. 48 of 4 May 2023; (ii) the Inclusion Allowance introduced by Law No. 85 of 3 July 2023, and (iii) subsidies for financially disadvantaged families on electric, gas, water waste management services, granted by various regulations. The measures adopted in favour of persons with disabilities include: the National fund for dependent persons (FNA) adopted by Law No. 296 of 27 December 2006 and increased by subsequent regulations; the Fund for persons with severe disabilities and no family support, established by Law No. 112 of 22 June 2016; the National Recovery Plan (PNRR), which allocates resources to lines of action for persons with disabilities and dependent seniors; Law No. 33 of 23 March 2023, Government powers for policies to support seniors. The Government has also provided information in connection with migrant workers, workers’ pay and associated questions, equality of opportunities and non-discrimination and education and training. The BES (“Benessere Equo e Sostenibile” or Fair and Sustainable Well-being) was introduced as a statistical tool to survey the well-being and living standards of the population, introduced by Law No. 163 of 4 August 2016.

In addition, the Committee notes that, in the framework of the periodic review of Italy’s record on human rights in 2022, the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights expressed concerns about the considerable proportion of workers in the informal economy, the inadequate coverage of such workers by labour and social protection laws and living and working conditions; occupational health hazards, exposure to pollution and exploitative practices by employers in the agriculture, construction, and garment and textile industries, especially against migrant workers; the persistently high rates of poverty, which in some areas have increased in recent years, especially in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the high rate of child poverty, the disproportionately high level of absolute poverty among non-nationals, and the regional disparities in the prevalence of poverty (see document E/C.12/ITA/CO/6, of 7 December 2022, paragraphs 37, 38, and 43).

The Committee takes due note of the Government’s efforts to address the numerous challenges associated to improving the standard of living of the population by, inter alia, adopting comprehensive policies aimed at promoting inclusive economic growth, enhancing social protection and creating opportunities for all segments of the population. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on social policy programmes and other initiatives intended to ensure that the improvement of standards of living is regarded as the principal objective in the planning of economic development in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention, as well as the impact of such measures. In particular, the Committee asks the Government to indicate the types of measures that are primarily directed to the well-being and development of the population and to the promotion social progress (Article 1 of the Convention), including by indicating the Government’s vision and strategy for fostering transitions from the informal to the formal economy and improving productivity and the standard of living of the entire population. The Government is also requested to indicate the manner in which, in ascertaining the minimum standards of living, it takes account of such essential family needs of the workers as food and its nutritive value, housing, clothing, medical care and education (Article 5). The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information, including statistics disaggregated by sex, age and region, on the impact of the reforms on the well-being of the population and the improvement of living standards in the country, particularly the levels of poverty.