A policy for mechanisation

In the foreground at EIMA International, political issues related to the agricultural machinery sector. During its five days, the event was attended by the agricultural councillors of all Italian regions, a delegation of Italian parliamentarians, a delegation of Euro-parliamentarians and the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio Di Stefano representing the Government

The agricultural machinery exhibition is an opportunity to discuss political strategies for supporting innovation in agriculture. This edition confirmed this vocation by hosting authoritative representatives from the world of politics and institutions. The need for technologies for farms, EU regulations, funding instruments for the renewal of the agro-mechanical fleet and safety policies were the subject of discussion and debate during the event. The President of the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Filippo Gallinella, spoke on the issue of safety, linked to the implementation of the law on the mandatory overhaul of old mechanical equipment.

“More than seven years have passed since the legislature decided to introduce the overhaul of agricultural vehicles,” said Gallinella during the course of the conference entitled ‘Objectives and Priorities of the New National Prevention Plan’, organized by INAIL and held within the EIMA International exhibition, "but since then the implementing decree has not yet seen the light of day and this can no longer be postponed. The technical part, preparatory to the drafting of the standard, has been completed and I am therefore waiting for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility to issue the decree as soon as possible because the not negligible number of deaths in agriculture also depends on it".

The issue was raised by the president of FederUnacoma Alessandro Malavolti during the press conference for the presentation of EIMA, held on 18 October in Bologna. The overhaul law has been at a standstill for years - Malavolti recalled - due to the lack of implementing decrees, and the failure to implement the law itself is the cause of serious accidents in agriculture. The issue of funding for innovation in the sector, and therefore the role of the Regions, emerged during the official visit to EIMA of the councillors for agriculture of all the Italian Regions, which took place on Wednesday 20. The delegation of Italian parliamentarians, for the most part members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies' Agriculture Committee, led by Committee chairman Gallinella, and the delegation of senators from the Senate's Agriculture Committee - with president Gianpaolo Vallardi present - discussed technological issues and the most topical questions for the sector, including the relationship between industry, agriculture and institutions, which it is hoped will be increasingly close and synergic. The presence of MEPs on Friday 22 was also particularly significant. Members of Parliament Paolo De Castro, Nicola Danti, Salvatore De Meo, Pietro Fiocchi and Silvia Sardone had a first-hand look at the technological innovations in the sector and held in-depth meetings on European agricultural strategies, in particular the public debate on the new CAP between the Honourable Paolo De Castro and the President of FederUnacoma Alessandro Malavolti, an opportunity to take stock of the Farm to Fork Community programme, the European Union's strategic plan for the sustainable growth of agriculture, and the new Community Agricultural Policy. According to De Castro, in order to tackle the planned green transition "time and resources are needed, we must wait until the new technologies that will enable us to implement the plan are available to farmers: the legislative acts that follow will have to take this into account".

"The EIMA International Exhibition is an appointment for all operators from the sector. During my visit I was able to appreciate the technological innovations with which European farmers and breeders will be able to meet the challenges of the green and digital transition and optimise their production process," said MEP Salvatore De Meo at the end of the visit. It was also an opportunity to meet the President of FederUnacoma, Alessandro Malavolti, and to share the opportunity and the need for the agricultural machinery sector to be considered within the agricultural sector instead of the industrial automotive one," added De Meo. "In this regard, we examined the general principles of the proposal for a Community Regulation that will replace the Machinery Directive and on which we need to work in Brussels in order to avoid penalising manufacturers and encourage further investments. I would like to congratulate the organisers of the exhibition," concluded De Meo, "which, after the forced pause caused by the pandemic, recorded a significant presence of exhibitors and visitors, representing a good sign of confidence and restart for the whole sector.”