Year 2011

Order of the President of the Council of Ministers (OPCM) No. 4007 of February 29, 2012, similar to Order of the President of the Council of Ministers No. 3907 of November 13, 2010, regulates the procedures for financing seismic risk mitigation measures, based on the guidelines issued by the Commission established by Order of the President of the Council of Ministers No. 3843/10. The new order, relating to the year 2011, further develops those actions that have so far been only marginally, or never, addressed by previous measures: seismic microzonation studies, interventions on private buildings, and on urban structures and infrastructure of particular importance for civil protection plans, limiting interventions to the areas of highest risk (classified as zones 1 and 2) and to the most vulnerable structures. The grants may be used only in municipalities where the maximum ground acceleration is equal to or greater than 0.125g.

To achieve greater integration of measures aimed at mitigating seismic risk and to encourage initiatives designed to improve emergency management, the ordinance introduces the analysis of the Emergency Limit Condition (CLE) of the urban settlement. The CLE analysis of an urban settlement is defined as the condition beyond which, following the occurrence of a seismic event—even in the event of physical and functional damage sufficient to lead to the interruption of nearly all existing urban functions, including residential use—the urban settlement nevertheless retains, as a whole, the operational capacity of most functions critical for emergency response, their accessibility, and their connection to the surrounding area. Regions that decide to supplement seismic microzonation studies with CLE analysis may reduce the co-financing contribution for the studies by up to 25%, and at the same time, the state contribution will be increased within the limits of the resources allocated by Order of the President of the Council of Ministers No. 4007/12 for seismic microzonation surveys. Support and monitoring, at the national level, of seismic microzonation studies and CLE analyses are guaranteed by the Technical Commission provided for by Order of the Prime Minister No. 3907/10 and established by the Decree of the Prime Minister of April 21, 2011. The Technical Commission is supported by the National Research Center (CNR) through an agreement with the Civil Protection Department.
The measures planned for 2011, as in the previous year, are implemented through programs run by the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, each of which is allocated a share of the total fund proportional to the seismic risk of its territory, as calculated based on studies conducted by the centers of expertise of the Civil Protection Department. The allocation of resources among the Regions was specified by the Decree of the Head of the Department dated March 16, 2012. The activation of interventions on private buildings for the year 2011 is mandatory for a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 40% of the funding allocated to the Regions, provided that this amount is equal to or greater than 2 million euros.