Political Risk:
Low
Score:
72/100
Defence and Security Policy and Policy Transparency
Q1
92/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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According to the Code of the military system (Codice dell’ordinamento militare) and to the attributions of the Parliamentary Defence Committees, the Parliament scrutinises the…
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Parliament approves the defence budget each year [3]. Decision regarding security and defence issues are mainly taken by legislative decrees, hence the parliamentary involvement…
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With particular reference to modernisation and acquisition programmes (art. 536 of the Code of the military system) the Parliament has the capacity to express…
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Q2
75/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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In Italy there are two standing parliamentary committees — one for each Chamber of the Parliament — that exercise oversight over defence and security…
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The lists of Committees’ members are publicly available on the website of the respective Chambers [1] [2]. Nonetheless, apart from their membership affiliations prior…
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The political direction of defence policies are mainly carried out by the Executive, and the Committees participate in this process by (dis-)agreeing to the…
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Committees meet in different composition, in a reporting capacity, in a consultative role, in an inquiring capacity, more than once a month [1]. For…
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Committees are allowed to carry out interrogations and questions on every aspect of the defence policies that results in auditions and fact-finding survey [1]…
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Defence committees can propose recommendations that can be included in the decrees of the government. On specific aspects related to budgetary issues, should modification…
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Q3
75/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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Issues related to defence policy and security strategies are debated publicly and in different formats. It mainly occurs through interviews [1], articles on newspapers…
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According to the source consulted, discussion can reach an in-depth analysis. In this regards, the Istituto Affari Internazionali, a Rome-based think tank, produces research,…
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Public consultations do not occur regularly. During the preparation process of the 2015 White Paper on Defence, there was a public consultation process that…
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On the websites of various ministries – Defence, Foreign Affairs, Economic Development and Economy – as well as on those of the parliamentary standing…
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Q4
67/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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The Three-Year Corruption Prevention Plans were approved since 2015. In the 2016-2018 plan, one can find specific mentions of civil society organisations’ involvement, included…
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Article 18 of the Italian Constitution protects the right of citizens to form associations freely [1]. A formal list of CSOs operating in Italy…
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Within the framework of the 2016-2018 Three-Year Corruption Prevention Plan, awareness projects on issues of anti-corruption were established in collaboration with civil society entities…
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Q5
75/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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Italy is one of the major defence exporters worldwide [1]. It has signed and ratified the UNCAC [2], the Group of States against Corruption…
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According to the last UNCAC Country report of 2019, there is room for improvement in the implementation of the convention. Among the advised improvements…
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Q6
63/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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Public debate on defence issues outside the government is generally inconstant and mainly focused on two main aspects: armament acquisition/export and personnel deployed abroad.…
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Engagement of the government in public discussion remains very limited and sporadic. Nonetheless, when this occurs it can be on several aspects of the…
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Q7
88/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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According to Law 190/2012, the so called Legge Severino, the whole apparatus of Public Administration has to adopt an anticorruption and transparency plan [1].…
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Article 1(3) of law 190/2012 [1] also requires public administrations to publish all measures and actions undertaken to counter corruption. The document also defines…
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Q8
83/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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Since 22 July 2019, the Anticorruption Supervisor of the Ministry of Defence is Admiral Inspector Sabino Imperscrutabile [1], who, in the performance of his…
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According to article 1(7) of law 190/2012, all public administrations are required to identify a person responsible for the implementation and oversight of the…
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The personnel of the units understand the risks related to the corruption risk. As indicated in the Three-year plan, the knowledge of measures and…
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Q9
NS/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. It is not possible to assess public perception regarding the institutions of defence in…
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Q10
100/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
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Assessment of the areas of greater risk of corruption is foreseen by law. The National Anti-corruption Authority identifies the area of major risks of…
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According to section III.9 of the Three-year plan, a report on the monitoring activities on the implementation plan has to be filled out by…
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The Three-year plan is updated every year [1] in order to consider recommendations and inputs coming from the annual reports by the Anticorruption supervisor…
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Defence Budgets
Q11
83/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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Italy recently underwent a process of revision of the public system, in view of a more transparent and accountable system of the Italian Public…
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Information on the acquisition process are made publicly available on the website of the Ministry of Defence, where all required information on the DPP…
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Parliament exercises its right to oversee the acquisition planning. Decisions are made publicly available on the websites of both the Ministry of Defence [1]…
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Q12
63/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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Q13
88/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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The analysis of the defence budget is carried out in the wider process of definition of the national annual budgetary law [1]. Therefore, the…
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When it comes to the capacity to influence the decision making process, Parliamentary committees can express their opinion on specific aspects related to the…
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Q14
75/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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The defence budget [1] — both the estimate and the final budget — as well as the Pluriannual Programmatic Document (PPD) [2] and the…
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The budget available for consultation on the Ministry website contains detailed specifications of each functional aspects of the defence budget [1] [2]. Moreover, it…
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Offices for Public Relations of the public administrations have been institutionalised by legislative decree n.29/1993 [1]. Accordingly, the website of the Ministry of Defence…
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Q15
50/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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Sources of defence income other than those provided by the central administration are indicated in the annual budgetary law [1]. According to Section V…
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Sources other than those assigned by the central government are managed by Difesa Servizi Spa, owned by the Ministry of Defence. As every enterprise…
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Public scrutiny of non-central government sources of funding is almost non-existant. There is little evidence on public media of public scrutiny of sources of…
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Q16
67/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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Legislative decree 28 December 1998, n. 496 initially created a Consulting Committee in order to ensure a faster, transparent, and rightful contractualisation of purchases…
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For what concerns control over armament acquisition, parliamentary committees provide their opinion on the scheme of the Ministrerial Decree before the acquisition might be…
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The reports of ISPEDIFE are only published on the intranet of the administration, thus they are not accessible to the public [1]. According to…
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There is not enough information to score this indicator. Internal audit results are proactively communicated to the inspected office or person, as indicated in…
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Q17
92/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
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The budget of the Ministry of Defence, like any other budget of a public administration, is subject to external audit and control, by the…
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The independence of the Court of Auditors is guaranteed by the Constitution (art. 100), that establishes its direct report to the Parliament. Moreover, its…
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According to Legislative Decree 123/2011 [1], the Central Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance to the Ministry of Defence releases, every…
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There is not enough information to score this indicator. According to Legislative decree 123/2011, reports of the Court of Auditors are scrutinised by the…
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Nexus of Defence and National Assets
Q18
83/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
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According to law 56/2012 [1] in implementation of legislative decree 21/2012 [2], the government can exercise special powers to safeguard enterprises operating in strategic…
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There is no evidence on public media and sources of defence institutions involvement in financing or controlling interests related to national natural resources. [1]
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There is no evidence on public media and sources of individual defence personnel involvement in business related to natural resources [1].
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This indicator has been marked ‘Not Applicable’. This is because the Ministry of Defence does not have control or financial interests in businesses associated…
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This indicator has been marked ‘Not Applicable’. This is because the Ministry of Defence does not have control or financial interests in businesses associated…
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Organised Crime
Q19
50/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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In Italy there are ongoing prosecutions on an alleged negotiation between part of the intelligence and police service and the Mafia (trattativa Stato-Mafia). Although…
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The state is aware of the possible penetration of organised crime in the state structures and in the defence and security sector. In carrying…
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Q20
75/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
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All police forces operating on the national territory have the power to investigate on corruption and criminality on the entire territory and in all…
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Being a separate body, the national police is independent from the armed forces and its budget is separate from that of the ministry of…
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Cases are investigated and prosecuted according to the gravity of the crime and can lead to imprisonment [1]. By comparing the number of illicit…
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Control of Intelligence Services
Q21
88/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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Parliamentary oversight of the intelligence service has been modified in 2007, by law n. 124/2007, when a dedicated Parliamentary Committee (Comitato parlamentare per la…
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The remit of the Committee is indicated in art. 30.2 of law 124/2007: “The Committee shall constantly and systematically verify that the Security Intelligence…
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Q22
63/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
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According to Law 124/2007 (article 1 (e) and (f)) that modified national intelligence services, the Prime Minister nominates and revokes the Director General of…
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Appointment of senior positions are decided by the Prime Minister in accordance with the Interministerial Committee. In the occasion of the last nominees, Prime…
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Article 30 of law 124/2007 defines the consultative functions of the Parliamentary committee for the Security of the Republic [1]. The article specifies that…
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Export Controls
Q23
58/100
Does the government have a well-scrutinised process for arms export decisions that aligns with Articles 7.1.iv, 11.5, and 15.6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?
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Italy has signed the ATT [1] on 3 June 2013 and ratified it with law 4 October 2013, n. 118 [2].
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As far as application of the Treaty is concerned, Italy experiences some application issues. According to Art. 7.1.iv of the ATT [1], when agreeing…
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Upcoming arms exports are generally not subject to robust parliamentary approval and debate. Article 1(6) of law 185/1990 foresees a parliamentary opinion on arms…
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Lobbying in Defence
Italy has no legislation concerning lobbying, despite several attempt to legislate the sector. In April 2016, the Chamber of Deputies has issued internal rules…
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As there is no national legislation on the issue, this indicator has been marked ‘Not Applicable’. There is no legal requirement on the publication…
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As there is no national legislation on the issue, this indicator has been marked ‘Not Applicable’. No mandatory registration system exists. It should be…
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As there is no national legislation on the issue, this indicator has been marked ‘Not Applicable’. There is no oversight entity with a mandate…
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