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Sicily’s ‘Arance rosse’ blood oranges

Sicily, Italy

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Sicily’s ‘Arance rosse’ blood oranges
© nbnserge | AdobeStock

Sicily is one of the biggest regions in Italy and one of the largest islands in Europe. It is rich in terms of its natural, historical and cultural heritage, and has a strategic position in the Mediterranean. However, its economic situation puts it among the EU’s least developed regions, Food processing, fishing, energy and tourism are some of the sectors able to contribute to its development, Many of Sicily’s food products are protected by the EU’s labels for high-quality local produce, including the ‘Arancia rossa di Sicilia IGP’ blood oranges, while its refineries, electronics and food processing industries have turned Sicily into one of southern Italy’s leading export regions.

Examples of projects and initiatives supported by the EU

Play within the rules

Several municipalities in Sicily were involved in an EU-cofinanced project promote behaviour liable to lead to positive socialisation and rule-following. Specifically, the initiative financed the construction of sports facilities to foster the integration and social inclusion of young people through sport.

Broadband diffusion

The technological gap is one factor holding Sicily’s economy back; overcoming this problem is one of the keys to completing the EU’s digital single market. The EU has earmarked a further EUR 120 in EU cofinancing for extending ultra-wideband across Sicily’s territory, enabling a bigger spread of digital services serving both the public and businesses.

The road of writers

The EU funds infrastructure projects in regions that are lagging behind. The Writers’ Road stretching from Porto Empedocle across Agrigento and Caltanissetta, two provinces famous for being the birthplaces and homes of great writers, is just one of the projects implemented last year. This road forms part of the island’s network of cultural itineraries for tourists.

Palermo-Catania-Messina railway

With a view to boosting the island’s socio-economic development by ensuring faster and more sustainable transport, thus benefiting both the public and businesses, more than EUR 101 million in EU funding has been earmarked for the upgrading of the Palermo-Catania-Messina railway corridor. This investment will slash journey times and enable more frequent train connections.

Micro-enterprise bonus

European funding totalling almost EUR 100 million has cofinanced, to the tune of 80%, a plan to fund Sicilian small businesses by granting them a micro-enterprise bonus. These funds were allocated to offset their reduced turnover owing to forced shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

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