What is the “General Council of Italians Abroad”?

Let’s discover the international body that advises the Government and Parliament on major issues of interest to Italians who do not live at home

The citizens of the Italian Republic who live outside their national borders enjoy bodies of representation that go beyond and proceed in parallel, so to speak, to the election of the members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic in their respective constituencies.
The General Council of Italians Abroad is, in fact, an advisory body to the Government and Parliament on major issues of interest to Italians who do not live in their homeland.
It was established by Law No. 368 of November 6, 1989 (as last amended by Decree Law No. 66 of April 24, 2014, converted with amendments, by Law No. 89 of June 23, 2014) and is governed by the implementing regulations set forth in Presidential Decree No. 329 of September 14, 1998.

COMITES electoral register: last call on 3/11

It derives its representative legitimacy from the direct election by the members of the COMITES

The CGIE derives its representative legitimacy from the direct election by the members of the COMITES in the world and represents an important step in the process of development of the active participation in the political life of the country by the Italian communities in the world.
At the same time it constitutes the essential body for their permanent connection with Italy and its institutions.
The CGIE is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and, following the changes introduced by the latest regulatory interventions in the framework of the reforms adopted for the containment of public spending, there has been a reshuffling in the number of its members, passed from 94 to a total of 63, in the composition of the Presidential Committee, passed from 16 to 9 members and in the ordinary convocation of a single annual plenary assembly.

An institution composed of 63 Councilors and six different bodies

The CGIE is divided into: Plenary Assembly, Presidential Committee (composed of the Secretary General, four Deputy Secretaries General and four representatives of the different areas), 3 Continental Commissions, the Commission of governmental appointment, 7 Thematic Commissions and the Working Groups.
The Council is composed of 63 Councillors, 43 of whom are directly elected abroad and 20 of whom are appointed by the government.
a) seven on indication of the national associations of emigration;
b) four on indication of the parties that have parliamentary representation;
c) six on indication of the most representative trade-union confederations and patronages at national level, and who are represented in the CNEL;
d) one from the National Federation of the Press;
e) one from the Federation of the Italian Press Abroad;
f) one invited by the most representative organization of frontier workers.
There are also a number of non-voting permanent guests, including members of parliament elected in the foreign constituency.

In its propositional functions, the CGIE in particular
examines, in harmony with the political, cultural, economic and social development of Italy, the problems of communities abroad, in particular with regard to the living and working conditions of individuals and of the communities themselves as a whole, to scholastic and professional training, to reintegration in productive activities and to other needs of those who decide to return home;
– formulates, at the request of the Government or the Presidents of the two branches of Parliament, opinions and, on its own initiative, proposals and recommendations, regarding legislative or administrative and electoral initiatives of the State or the regions, international agreements and community regulations concerning the Italian communities abroad;
– promotes studies and research on matters concerning Italian communities and communities of Italian origin in the world, collaborating in the organization and elaboration of the same;
– verifies and promotes the processes of integration of Italian communities into the social and economic-productive structures of the host country and the enhancement of the national identity of Italian communities abroad;
– draws up an annual report with a three-year projection to be presented, through the Government, to Parliament, in which the events of the previous year are evaluated and prospects and guidelines for the following three years are outlined.
– It contributes to the elaboration of economic and social legislation which has an impact on the world of emigration.
In its consultative functions, the CGIE formulates opinions
– on the allocations on the various chapters of the State budget in favour of the Italian communities abroad;
– on multi-year programmes and relative financing for school policy, professional training and social, welfare and social security protection;
– on criteria for the allocation of contributions to national associations, patronages, educational and professional training bodies, press, popular and information organs that carry out concrete activities of support and economic, social, cultural and civil promotion of Italian communities abroad;
– on information and radio-television and computer programs for Italian communities abroad;
– lines of reform of consular, scholastic and social services.

What are the COMITES, antennae of the Italian spirit abroad?

In 2021 the first free elections after the COVID19 and six… years

With the National Assemblies of the COMITES on September 26 and 27, 2015, the body was completely renewed and the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of January 7, 2016 completed the Plenum of the new Consiliatura.
The new elections of the Committees of Italians Abroad were set in the period from November 3 to December 3, 2021 only for those who had registered since October 3 at the competent consular authorities or through the online system FAST IT.