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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

Deadline to opt out of TV licence fee and details of Italy’s ‘green’ car bonus – here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 29 January 2024 09:36 CET
Electric car, Italy
An electric SUV charging at a station in downtown Milan in March 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Monday

Italy eyes energy deals with African nations

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni was set to meet with the leaders of African countries on Monday, January 29th as part of a two-day Italy-Africa summit.  

Meloni was expected to present the so-called Mattei Plan – a blueprint of energy cooperation deals with African nations which critics say favours European interests.

Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant platform, hopes to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe, funnelling energy north while forging political deals aimed at preventing irregular migration to Italy, AFP reported.

Critics say the government aims to strike advantageous anti-migration or migrant repatriation deals after electoral campaign promises to curb sea arrivals went unfulfilled.

Wednesday

New piracy blocker

A new anti-piracy platform designed to block illegal streaming within 30 minutes of detection will first come into effect on Wednesday, January 31st.

Known as ‘Piracy Shield’, the platform will reportedly improve upon previous blocking methods by covering more internet providers and allowing for quicker handling of piracy reports.

The digital tool, which is set to be managed by Italy’s communications authority AgCom, will come after broadcasters’ calls for tougher legislation on piracy amid growing numbers of illegal streams.

Pirated content is estimated to cost Italian football broadcasters alone some 350 million euros every year. 

Users caught streaming pirated content in Italy currently face fines of up to 5,000 euros.

Broadcast, football

A TV cameraman is pictured during an Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Hellas Verona in June 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Opt-out deadline for Italy’s TV licence fee

Homeowners in Italy will have until Wednesday, January 31st to opt out of the national TV licence fee (or canone).

The 70-euro fee is based on a peculiar opt-out rather than opt-in system, with the charge being automatically added to a household’s electricity bill. 

READ ALSO: Who can opt out of paying the Italian TV licence fee?

This means homeowners who don’t have a TV set need to complete and submit the payment exemption form with Italy’s Agenzia delle Entrate (tax office) by the end of January each year.

Thursday

Italy to unveil new ‘green’ car bonus

Italy’s business minister Adolfo Urso is set to unveil a new round of state incentives for the purchase of non-polluting vehicles on Thursday, February 1st.

The scheme is not the first of its kind as similar incentives ran last year with a fund of 650 million euros in total. 

Urso said last week that the latest incentives are intended to “favour the purchase of ecologically sustainable vehicles” and “boost national production” by offering discounts of up to 13,750 euros for customers buying cars with low CO2 emission levels (less than 135 grams per kilometre, according to the latest reports). 

Saturday

Viareggio Carnival starts 

The Viareggio Carnival – one the most spectacular carnival festivals in the country – will start on Saturday, February 3rd. 

Though it may not be as well known abroad as the Venice Carnival, carnevale in Viareggio, on Tuscany’s northern coast, has little to envy from celebrations in the Venetian lagoon. 

Every year the town sees masked participants carry hundreds of colourful papier-mâché floats, including large-scale caricatures of politicians and celebrities, along the seafront followed by a variety of music and dancing performances.

The parade will take place on six different dates this year, with the last available date being Saturday, February 24th.

Viareggio, Italy, Carnival

A float featuring caricatures of political leaders Giorgio Napolitano and Mario Monti during the Viareggio Carnival in February 2013. Photo by FABIO MUZZI / AFP

Italy faces England in Six Nations Rome opener

Italy’s national rugby team will start their journey in the historic Six Nations Championship by facing England at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico at 3.15pm Italian time on Saturday, February 3rd.

The game will be broadcast free of charge on TV8 (channel eight on most TV sets in Italy). Those wishing to see the Azzurri in action from up close can grab tickets for the game here.

Sunday

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, February 4th under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.

The initiative applies to hundreds of sites, including world-famous attractions like the Colosseum, Pompeii, Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, the Reggia di Caserta and Trieste’s Miramare Castle. 

Find more information about how it works in our article.

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For members

BREAKING

Everything that changes in Italy in May 2024

From Labour Day celebrations to the start of tax filing season and a summer tyres deadline, here's what people living in Italy can expect next month.

Published: 26 April 2024 11:12 CEST
Everything that changes in Italy in May 2024

Airbnb bans indoor surveillance cameras

Surveillance cameras will no longer be allowed inside Airbnb rentals from April 30th forward under a new company-wide policy that will affect hosts and customers globally, including in Italy.

Until now, Airbnb has allowed hosts to install security cameras in common spaces such as hallways and living rooms provided that they were clearly visible and mentioned in the listing. But reports of guests finding hidden cameras in private spaces has led the company to ban indoor video surveillance altogether. 

Hosts will still be able to install outdoor cameras after April 30th, but will have to clearly specify where they are stationed.

Italy’s Labour Day celebrations

May 1st will mark Italy’s Labour Day (or Festa del Lavoro in Italian). First established in 1890 to celebrate workers’ rights and trade unions’ achievements, Labour Day is a national public holiday, meaning a day off work for many around Italy. 

Offices and schools will be closed on the day, while most state-run museum and archaeological sites will remain open.

READ ALSO: What’s open and what’s closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

People celebrate Italy's Labour Day in Rome's Piazza San Giovanni

People celebrate Italy’s Labour Day in Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni on May 1st 2013. Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP

Rail and public transport operators tend to operate a number of ‘holiday services’ (servizi or orari festivi) on national holidays, including Labour Day. However, these services may experience major delays and/or cancellations this year due to a 24-hour general strike that will involve staff from both public and private transport operators around the country.

You can keep up with all the latest updates in our strike news section.

May 1st ‘concertone’ in Rome

The traditional Labour Day concert (known as concertone, or ‘the big concert’ in Italy) will return to Rome on May 1st.

The event, which is the largest free live music concert in Europe, will take place in the central Circus Maximus venue, with performances from some of the most popular Italian artists set to start as early as 3pm.

All acts will be free of charge. No advance booking is required, but access to the square will be denied after full capacity is reached.

Tax filing season starts

May 2nd is the earliest date from which some taxpayers in Italy can begin to submit their yearly income tax returns.

There are two types of income tax declaration form in Italy: generally speaking, employees and retirees use form 730 (modello 730), whereas the self-employed, people with sources of income other than employment or pension, and taxpayers who are not legally resident in Italy use the ‘natural persons’ income form‘ (modello redditi persone fisiche).

READ ALSO: When are the deadlines for filing your Italian income tax return?

Taxpayers can submit the modello redditi persone fisiche in paper form at their local post office from May 2nd, whereas May 11th is the earliest date from which taxpayers can begin to submit the modello 730 on the Italian tax office’s website.

Cycling fever

The 2024 edition of the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling competitions, will run from Saturday, May 4th to Sunday, May 26th. 

This year’s Giro will start in Venaria Reale, just north of Turin, and end right by Rome’s iconic Fori Imperiali, passing through cities, lakes and mountain ranges all over northern and southern Italy on the way.

Irish rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the last stage of the 101st Giro d'Italia

Irish rider Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the last stage of the 101st Giro d’Italia on May 27th 2018 in Rome. Photo by LUK BENIES / AFP

As usual, the contest will attract thousands of cycling enthusiasts from all around the world, with fans once again expected to crowd narrow mountain roads and camp out in fields just to get a brief glimpse of the riders. 

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, May 5th under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.

The initiative applies to hundreds of sites, including world-famous attractions like the Colosseum, Pompeii, Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, the Reggia di Caserta and Trieste’s Miramare Castle. 

Find more information about how it works in our article.

Mother’s Day

Italy celebrates Mother’s Day (or Festa della Mamma) on the second Sunday in May, which falls on May 12th this year. 

First established in 1956, Italy’s Mother’s Day originally fell on May 8th but the festivity was moved to the second Sunday of May in 2000 to get in line with the American calendar.

Summer tyres deadline 

Motorists in Italy have until May 15th to make the switch from winter to summer tyres.

After the window to make the switch closes, drivers breaking the rules will face a fine of up to 1,731 euros plus the requirement to undergo a revisione (the Italian equivalent of a UK MOT test or a vehicle inspection in the US).

Italy’s summer tyres requirement is a frequent source of confusion as it doesn’t apply to all vehicles. See our article on the topic to find out whether or not it applies to you.

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