28 July 2007

Council of Ministers. Justice: Separation of the Career

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“Another Friday, another Council of Ministers, another bunch of important decisions. We decided a lot of ordinary things, among these is a framework code to correct the existing tendering framework that is the collection of rules that regulate how tendering is done. This is an enormous collection of articles and it was necessary to do a series of corrections to make it more transparent and efficient. I have dealt with this, brought it to the Council of Ministers and we approved it.
We also approved a framework law to modify another collection of rules, the one on the environment. This was done by our colleague, Pecoraro. That too was passed though there were a few reservations. From myself and others. One in particular could very soon be examined: the environmental impact procedure. For an environmental impact procedure a good 500 days are needed and for the strategic impact evaluation procedure it takes 350 days. To do a construction activity, before even placing the first stone, but what am I saying, to get an authorisation, the authorisation from the Minister of the Environment, 850 days are needed. This seems like an exaggeration. It seems to me that this should be reduced to 85 days. I have to say that on this point basically everyone agreed with me, however, at the end, it’s the law of stupidity if the law isn’t changed. Thus let’s hope that they’ll be a due rethink within the institutions, the Parliament and the Government, for this procedure that is necessary and useful to ensure the respect of the environment, the protection of the territory, but damaging because of the biblical time frame that is laid down to put it into operation.
We also tackled another important discussion in relation to the Milan metro line. I have asked for funding, I have asked for the authorisation, but there, there’s an enormous problem, dear Mayor Moratti, there’s the Minister of Culture who isn’t giving his opinion and he’s not doing this because as yet you haven’t asked for it. Or rather, at that moment, it wasn’t asked for, now you have asked for it and he’s getting things moving. At times, we get lost behind a sea of papers where once one is right and another time another is right. To listen to you it seems that both are right, but this sea of paper seems to be drowning us. Just as the Venice lagoon is going under, I’m saying that because even for the “Mose project” there’s a discussion whether or not to refinance the project. At the next CIPE, I would like to bring a financing that everyone will be against. We are already half way through the work, now it’s hot and it’s not raining, but if a flood happens to arrive, what then? Thus I’m also worried about that.
Lastly, there’s a discussion in Parliament, right now, and that’s the reason why I have to leave immediately after this recording, about the approval of the reform of the justice system. In the majority there is someone, in particular in the Rosa nel Pugno, take care , we are talking of our majority, of our coalition, who are doing amendments to the decree of Mastella, the one who always gets angry with me, but in the end, the amendments to his decree are done by the others as well, amendments that ask for the separation of the career.
The whole of the Centre Right is voting in favour, plus a part of the Centre Left. In favour of what? Of separating the career of the judge from that of public prosecutor and organise things so that the prosecutor is under the Minister…. Have you seen that already, the Minister of Justice, as soon as Forleo asked for the authorisation to use some intercepts, has asked for the documents to put her under investigation?

What will happen one tomorrow if even the judge, as well as the prosecutor become part of the ministry? I believe that the independence of the magistracy must be safeguarded for the good of the country. This is why today, I’m taking off the trappings of a Minister and I’m going in the capacity as a parliamentarian and I’m going to vote “no” against this amendment brought by the Rosa nel Pugno. That’s all.
I’ll see you after the next Council of Ministers that will be the final one before the summer, meanwhile, here, in this Ministry something will happen. I’m changing the cards, I’m mixing up the cards, that is I’m moving many Heads of Departments in the Ministry. A change every so often increases the professional capacity and reduces the temptations.“

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Justice