Under discussion in the Senate, the 2009 bill (Provisions for the regulation, promotion and enhancement of the activities of the horticultural sector) has a series of objectives for the promotion of the Italian horticultural sector.
"A law that with the necessary adjustments can bring benefits to the horticultural industry and, therefore, also to the whole ornamental green sector, including that of arboriculture".
So says Andrea Pellegatta, President of the Italian Society of Arboriculture, the association that in Italy brings together those who professionally deal with management and interventions on trees, with the primary purpose of spreading the culture and importance of the tree in city and good care practices. "However, we do not understand what Article 16 of the Ddl has to do with the purpose of promoting the horticultural sector, which would allow municipalities to resort to volunteering for public green care activities.
Our association considers it fundamental and has always concretely invested, through its members throughout Italy, for the involvement of citizens, to make them understand the importance of public and private trees and how they should be managed professionally so that they are in able to provide those benefits that are increasingly essential for life in cities. Another thing, however, is to allow citizens and volunteers to directly take care of the public green and even the trees. In the past we have already seen the serious damage caused by volunteers in the pruning of trees and we have also supported a complaint to the Court of Auditors asking for investigations to be made for tax damage and environmental damage following damage to the public arboreal heritage for pruning entrusted to volunteers . The risk, if the law were to be approved as it is now, is that the use of volunteers for pruning and other interventions that require training, specialization and professionalism will be "institutionalized".
This is not acceptable to us because it cancels all the efforts made over the years, even by the Italian Society of Arboriculture, to make people understand the importance of professional tree management, that is, through trained technicians and operators who know the needs of trees from the point of biological and physiological point of view and act accordingly, also in compliance with all the rules relating to safety in the workplace. Which, it is evident, the volunteers cannot guarantee ».
"The only Association that during the hearings requested the repeal of Article 16 of the Ddl was Assofloro, with the support also of the Coldiretti National Confederation - concludes Pellegatta - We find deafening the silence of the other associations in the supply chain and of the other trade unions farmers and artisans who should protect their businesses from unfair competition and improvisation and we find it unheard of in severity that for some of these Article 16 is even positive. We hope that Article 16 of the Ddl 2009 will be repealed, as requested by ASSOFLORO, because the rule, if approved, would cause enormous damage to the green of the cities. And it would also be a slap in the face to companies that are formed and that operate observing the rules, among all those of safety ».
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Ddl 2009 "Provisions for the regulation, promotion and enhancement of the activities of the horticultural sector"
Art. 16.
(Citizen participation in the care of urban greenery)
1. Municipalities may adopt measures aimed at encouraging the voluntary participation of citizens' associations in the care of urban or rural green areas, upon their specific request. To this end, with their own acts, the municipalities simplify the provisions that allow access to the activities referred to in the previous period, identifying forms of regulation and limits.