THE INSTITUTIONAL ROLE

The Italian Confederation of small and medium private industry was founded in 1947 and it represents nowadays one of the main actors in the Italian economic and politic environment.

The project of creating a Confederation of small and medium industry finds its origin in the traditional economic structure of Italy, where small and medium sized enterprises prevail and represents the effective Italian entrepreneurial system.

The activity of the Confederation aims at protecting and promoting the concrete interests of small and medium industries at all levels. In these years, Confapi contributed to the development of Italian industry, supporting its associated enterprises in facing the challenge of the modern global economy, profiting of their dimensions as an added value for competitiveness.

Nowadays, Confapi represents more than 50 thousands enterprises, with about one million employees.

Being recognized as an official social partner, Confapi plays its political role presenting proposals that are usually considered by the national government in the definition of political and economic decisions related to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Confapi economic policy proposals concern strategic fields for SMEs, such as finance, taxes, legislative measure to support SMEs, technology innovation, work policies, public welfare, environment, training and internationalization.

Besides, Confapi has long lasting relations with the main Italian institutions, particularly with Government, Parliament, parliamentary Commissions and political parties. It has also a rich representation within the main institutional organization, such as Ministries, Chamber of Commerce, Regional and local entities, Social Security Agency, the National Council for economy and labour (CNEL), the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE), the National Research Council (CNR), the European Federation of Trade Unions (CES).

The activity of Confapi focuses also on the European Union’s policies relating to SMEs, through the participation at UEAPME (the European Union of Craft and small enterprises). In this context, the Confederation aims both at contributing to the decision making process at European level and at disseminating to its associates all information regarding European initiatives, funding, laws and measures in favour of small and medium enterprises.

THE STRUCTURE

·        93 local offices

·        13 regional federations

·        4 regional associations

·        10 national branch unions

·        3 national branch associations

·        50.000 associated SMEs

·        1.000.000 employees

The territorial organization is the main strenght for Confapi granting a capillary presence in the whole country.

Local associations have their own administrative, financial and organizational indipendence and manage directly the relations with associated indutries. Besides playing an institutional role, they offer specific services to the entreprises giving them all kind of support and assistance for the entrepreneurial activity.

Confapi's structure relays also on national Associations of enterprises belonging to the same industrial branch. These Associations are called Unioni Nazionali di Categoria and stipulate national labour agreements with the respective Trade Unions of each sector.