Giuridico e Amministrativo

💸 Instant transfers are now available for everyone at no additional cost, as per new EU rules enacted from regulations approved in March. These rules, included in the community regulation 2024/886, ensure customers can send and receive transactions in 10 seconds with no fees, time limits, or extra charges. This change equates instant transfers with ordinary ones, aiming to make traditional bank services more competitive with platforms like PayPal or Satispay.

🍷 Italy's Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests (Masaf) has allocated over €323 million for the OCM Vino (Common Organization of the Wine Market) 2025/2026. The funds will support vineyard restructuring (€144 million), international promotion (€98 million), business investments (€57.6 million), byproduct distillation (€19.2 million), and green harvesting (€4.8 million). Sicily receives the largest share with €51.2 million, followed by Veneto (€40.7 million) and Puglia (€29.4 million). Unspent funds will be redistributed based on regions' spending capacity and specific criteria.

🍷 Global alcohol sales are in decline, influenced by anti-alcohol campaigns, such as the one in the USA proposing consumer cancer risk warnings on labels. Italy's stricter DUI laws impact on-premise consumption, especially during holidays. Younger generations (Gen Z) show less interest in spirits, valuing sustainability and low-alcohol options. The non-alcoholic RTD category is expected to grow by over $4 billion by 2028. Luxury brands like Moët Hennessy's French Bloom are now offering alcohol-free options. The newly elected US President Donald Trump's protectionist policies threaten the sector with a potential 10% cost increase due to new tariffs.

🏠 Bergamo is set to increase its tourist tax from 6% to 7% of the total cost of accommodation. The hike, however, won't affect hotel guests who already often pay the maximum cap of €5 per day per person, primarily impacting those staying in non-hotel facilities (B&Bs, holiday homes, room rentals).

🍷 Ca' Rugate, led by Michele Tessari, is a historic winery founded in the early 1900s in Val d'Alpone, the cradle of Soave Classico and Garganega. Originally marketing bulk wine, the Tessari family evolved in the 1970s, moving away from cooperatives to manage their grapes independently, leading to the establishment of "Agricola Tessari Fulvio e figli" in 1986, which later became Ca' Rugate. The winery, initially focused on white wines, owns 45 hectares in Soave Classico, expanded by 40 hectares in Valpolicella in 1999, and added 5 hectares of Lessini Durello in 2008. Producing about 750,000 bottles annually, with half destined for international markets, the winery emphasizes indigenous varieties. Michele Tessari's entry into the company in 2001, after earning a degree in Enology, marked a significant shift towards organic management started in 2017. Ca' Rugate also promotes the region through numerous projects and offers a Wine Museum and Educational Farm in Veneto, becoming a Social Farm in 2023.

🏢 In 2025, Trenitalia's Regionale will introduce 100 new trains with an investment of €850 million, anticipating over 430 million travelers. By 2027, the fleet will be 80% renewed with 1,061 new trains, thanks to a total investment of €7 billion. The previous year, 2024, saw 415 million passengers, an increase of 8 million from the previous year, with around 45% traveling for leisure and tourism. Digital Ticket usage rose to 43%, and intermodal links reached about 200 nationwide. The Giubileo 2025 initiatives include Metrebus ticket sales on the Trenitalia APP and extended Leonardo Express services.

🥃 The Consorzio Nazionale Grappa, in collaboration with ICQRF, halted the sale of counterfeit Grappa products in Sweden that misused the "Grappa" geographical indication and falsely labeled as "Gran Riserva Superiore". ICQRF's web monitoring led to the discovery of flavorings for "do-it-yourself Grappa" production involving mixing with alcohol. The issue was resolved through a cooperation procedure with Swedish authorities, resulting in the cessation of production and sale of the illicit product.

🍷 In 2024, Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco surpassed 660 million bottles, a 7% increase from the previous year, totaling around €3.6 billion in consumption value. Prosecco DOC Rosé saw over a 20% sales rise compared to 2023, with approximately 60 million bottles sold. The Prosecco DOC Consortium, led by President Giancarlo Guidolin, aims to ensure value stability and quality excellence, looking forward to 2025 with confidence.

📑 The European Union adopted a regulation on December 16 to tighten rules on recycling and reuse of packaging, aiming for a 5% reduction by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040. It highlights 186.5 kg of waste per capita annually with 36 kg from plastic (20%). The EU will ban single-use plastic packaging by 2030, including for food and drinks in bars and hotels. Companies offering takeout must allow customers to use their own containers at no extra cost. Italy is second only to the UK (70%) and Spain (67%) in packaging polymer dependency.

🚨 On December 14, 2024, Italy enforced stricter road traffic laws, including heightened penalties for driving with blood alcohol levels between 0.5 and 0.8 grams per liter, carrying fines up to €2,170 and license suspension for 3 to 6 months. Penalties double for levels above 0.8 grams per liter with possible arrest up to six months. Wine producer Sandro Bottega criticized the new rules, arguing they penalize moderate alcohol consumption without data linking it to increased traffic accidents. He suggests harsher penalties should target those exceeding 1 gram per liter instead.