I FINANZIAMENTI PER INVESTIMENTI FISSI ALLE IMPRESE DI TRASFORMAZIONE E COMMERCIALIZZAZIONE DEI PRODOTTI ORTOFRUTTICOLI: IL CASO PIEMONTESE (1975-1995)

The study quantifies and analyzes public subsidies (European, national and regional), granted in the period 1975-1995 to agri-food industries and cooperatives working in the Piedmont fruit and vegetable sector. The analysis in essence concerns subsidies on capital account and describes administrative-bureaucratic procedures of the financing files, clarifying the complex relationships and competences as between Regional bodies and Banks operating in the sphere of the payment of subsidies on interest account. The collection of this data involved a detailed examination of the relevant documentation for each financing procedure. The work focused on some important European Regulations and National and Regional Laws: Reg. EC 355/77 and 866/90, National Laws 752/86 and 201/91 and the Regional Laws 45/75, 63/78, 40/87, 40/95, 95/95. Some interesting results are here presented (values in 1995 Italian lira). - Investments made between 1975 and 1995 amounted to 78 billions, shared almost equally among building construction, machinery and engineering plants; subsidies on capital account actually paid by the Public institutions have been quantified in about 31 billions, i. e. 40 per cent of the value of the investments. - The largest part of the investments, i.e. 64 per cent of the total of the expense authorised after public control, was realized in the Province of Cuneo. - The major beneficiaries of subsidies were first and second level cooperatives in the food processing and marketing sector followed, almost for the same amount, by agri-food industries. Finally, the time required for the completion of the financing procedures, the development of public expenses and payments for this sector, the development of the part of public bodies, and their attitude towards potential beneficiaries, were also investigated.