The Ministry of the Interior reassures: Canadair service will not be interrupted during the 2026 season. The Region, which had requested clarification, is preparing to organize its firefighting system for next summer. But the nearly half-billion euro deal is still pending an appeal.
Concerns had grown last week, with the news that the Council of State had annulled the Ministry of the Interior's large-scale tender for the management of the firefighting fleet. The ruling dates back to December: the plant had been demolished, having been awarded in January to Avincis following an appeal by Sp&A, a small company in the sector.
The issue had returned to the forefront because the plaintiff company filed an appeal for compliance: according to its lawyers, the ruling had been unenforced and they were requesting that the contract be revoked. The hearing was scheduled for this month, but in the last few hours it emerged that it could be postponed to September, precisely to avoid leaving Italy without Canadair in 2026.
The concern had echoed in the Region: Environment Councilor Rosanna Laconi asked the Interior Ministry for reassurances regarding the upcoming firefighting season. And today the response arrived: the Ministry of the Interior announced that it had adopted measures to ensure Canadair service and that there would be no interruption. The Interior Ministry described the annulment "ruling" as "complied with" with an amendment made in January to the contract notice. Nothing further was explained. Therefore, if the true scope of the matter is to be understood, it would be best to await further possible action by lawyers and the courts.
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)