Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Raffaele FITTO, Italian Minister for European Affairs, deliver a press statement on Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

FITTO, Raffaele (ECR, IT)

press conference

official visit

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Italy

president's agenda

Press statement by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Raffaele FITTO, Italian Minister for European Affairs, Southern Italy, Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Raffaele FITTO, Italian Minister for European Affairs, I give the floor to Roberta METSOLA whom I thank for wanting to organize this visit to southern Italy. We have created the conditions with Lecce to have a very useful and profitable institutional meeting and I am convinced that this presence is not only an opportunity to talk about what we are doing, but above all knowing that together we must also do for the future. I have nothing more to add. I give the floor to the President for any questions you consider appropriate.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you. Good morning everyone. Thank you for having me here today. It is essential to make our people and businesses understand that Europe supports them. It's not obvious. Abbreviations like RRF, just as it is possible not to be aware of the fact that Next Generation EU, the largest aid package allocated since the American Marshall Plan of 1948.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I am hopeful. Let Italians know that the European Union is on their side. We need to listen, we need to explain and find solutions. Italy is the biggest beneficiary of the Recovery and Resilience funds. Funding for the benefit of your country increased during the last negotiations with the Commission to a total of 194 billion point four of euros.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And it is precisely about the benefit provided by European funds that we are talking about today. Here in Lecce, I am here to see first-hand how Europe contributes to the development of our cities and regions. I am thinking, for example, of the Innovative Schools project, which aims to accelerate the digital transformation of Italian schools, of the high-speed railway that will connect Taranto, Metaponto, Potenza and Battipaglia.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I have learned that 6 billion euros are available for a railway of 87 km. I will give another example to the Consortium for the construction of the system in Francavilla Fontana, which deals with the recovery of residential spaces and the supply of devices to disabled people. So, I wanted to mention all this because it is proof that Europe is investing in the future of Italy, which is safe in the hands of the talents of the South. The resources are there, let's put them at the service of our economy. Thank you.

Q&A, Question regarding the purpose of the official visit to the South of Italy.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Because for us, when, even to us who come from European institutions, we see that Europe is not enough here, but that when I talk to the young people who are here, they ask me what Europe does for us. Why don't you come here and see?

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, This is why I came here to talk to young people, to talk to those who make decisions in favor of the towns and also to make an appeal, so that all the citizens of this beautiful south can vote this June is coming for the next European elections. Because they can decide and we can decide together what they want and what we want from Europe in the next five years. That's why I came here. The South is very important to me, also because I come from the South.

Q&A, Question regarding on President's opinion on the Santacroce church in Lecce.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I had never been beautiful, but to see people so closely, they took a tour for me, which was very nice, and to see Lucce, the genuineness of the designers. I can tell you this is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen in my life. Thank you.