Giuridico e Amministrativo

💰 NUO Octagon SpA acquired 78.56% of Bialetti Industrie SpA on April 16, 2025, for €47.33 million from Bialetti Investimenti SpA and Bialetti Holding Srl, and another 19.56% from Sculptor Ristretto Investment S.à r.l. for €5.73 million. The transaction will lead to an obligatory public purchase offer (OPA) at no less than €0.467 per share, aiming for a delisting from Euronext Milan post-OPA completion. To finance the deal, NUO Octagon received equity commitments of €71 million. The Shareholders' Meeting on either May 28 or June 25, 2025, will appoint a new 7-member Board including Egidio Cozzi, who remains CEO and invests in the holding company controlled by the buyer.

💸 Italian e-commerce shows unstoppable growth, with 35.2 million online shoppers, an increase of 1.5 million from the previous year and 11 million in the past five years, revealed at the 20th Netcomm Forum. Smartphones lead device preference at 45.7%, with PCs at 48.1%. By 2025, product sales will constitute 58% of e-commerce, with significant growth in holiday stays, travel tickets, digital content, jewelry, and groceries. Online buyer demographics have shifted: younger in the past, now closer to national average with 60.4% men. Regional distribution shows 30% in the South and Islands, 26.8% in the Northwest, 22.8% in the Center, and 19.9% in the Northeast. Payment methods favor digital wallets (30.8%) and credit cards (26.4%), with 89% paying at the time of order. Online influences 40% of traditional purchase decisions, while physical stores influence 22.8% of online purchases.

🍾 The Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) has positively evaluated the European Commission's new wine labeling proposals in the "Pacchetto vino" presented on March 28 by Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen. A QR code for digitizing ingredient and nutritional information is a key update. The sector's current self-regulation allows for consumption warnings through pictograms and QR codes promoting moderate drinking or the "Wine in Moderation" program. Irish compulsory health labels on wines will start in March 2026, potentially setting a precedent for similar European regulations.

🍪 Italian agri-food exports hit a record €67.5 billion by the end of 2024, a €5 billion jump from the previous year, accounting for nearly 11% of national exports. Sales to the USA surged by 17% last year, with potential tariffs impacting less than expected, about €300 million instead of a possible €1.3 billion, due to the unique appeal of Made in Italy products, which represent €6 billion out of the €7.8 billion exported to the USA. Wine leads Italian exports, valued at over €8 billion, up by 5.5% in 2024. Italy is a global market leader in 15 food categories, including peeled tomatoes (76.3%), pasta (48%), and spirits (34.5%). Lombardy tops regional agri-food turnover with €50 billion, a 41% increase since 2015.

✈ Vueling launches 224 routes for Summer 2025, targeting nearly 100 destinations across 29 countries, including four new international routes in the Italian market: Florence-Brussels (from April 1, with three weekly flights), Salerno-Paris Orly (June 20 - October 24, three weekly flights), Salerno-Barcelona (July 3 - October 25, three weekly flights), and Rimini-Barcelona (July 2 - October 22, two weekly flights). In Italy, Vueling will offer 33 routes from 15 national airports to 13 European destinations in 6 countries, also connecting Florence to Catania domestically.

✈️ ICAO aims to replace traditional check-in and boarding procedures with a digital travel pass and facial recognition via AI, targeting implementation within three years. The digital pass will update automatically with flight changes and include passport information on smartphones, eliminating the need for paper documents. Infrastructure updates, such as facial recognition systems and digital passport readers, and airline system interoperability are required. Passenger data should be deleted within 15 seconds of verification for privacy.

💰 Master Explorer, managed by General Director Domenico Foggetti, secured a new contract to manage business travel for Aria, a public company of Lombardy Region. The 36-month contract involves organizing and overseeing work trips for Aria employees, executed by a dedicated team in Bari. This follows recent contracts with Italian institutions in London and Edinburgh, including embassies and trade agencies.

🛫 Air France will start a new direct flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Phuket on November 27, with three weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. The return flights from Thailand are on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Flights will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with 472 seats. During the 2025-2026 winter season, Air France will serve 11 destinations in Asia, including Bangkok, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Manila, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo-Haneda, and now Phuket.

🏖️ Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè met with her Turkish counterpart Mehmet Nuri Ersoy to discuss connectivity, sustainability, and cultural tourism. They emphasized the need for an updated Italy-Turkey cooperation agreement and recognized tourism as a "bridge of peace." In 2024, Turkish tourist arrivals in Italy surged by over 9% due to improved connections between the two countries.

✈ Transavia, a low-cost airline of Air France, will extend its Paris Orly to Bari route into the winter starting from late October with 4 flights a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. New winter services include flights to Cape Verde (Boa Vista, Praia, and Sal) from Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Nantes. Expansion continues in Saudi Arabia (Medina), Egypt (Hurghada), and Israel (Tel Aviv from Marseille and Bordeaux). The Istanbul service will also be enhanced. Transavia aims to operate no less than 168 routes this winter, as stressed by Nicolas Hénin, the deputy general manager.