After the debate on the decree in question, the Italian Senate has adopted the Stability law providing for important innovations for the liberal professions. Indeed, this decree establishes that the independent workers can access European structural funds for the years 2014-2020, through the amendment introduced by the Committee on Budgets, thanks to the rapporteurs Federica Chiavaroli and Magda Zanoni. The comparison between independent workers and small and medium-sized businesses is the issue of this amendment. Indeed, whatever form of business is chosen by professionals (law firm or company), these forms of association are considered business activities. It follows that all professionals will take advantage of these funds which until now were prohibited. The European fund 2014-2020 has set itself the objective of cooperating with the organizations of all Member States, through projects aimed at training citizens and finding/creating jobs. The European social fund is equally engaged, through seed money supporting the creation and reorganization of businesses throughout Europe. The European Commission has thus developed “the action plan for liberal professions” whose objective is to create a favourable business environment for liberal professions.
This should be done through:
- Access to credit, this means that independent workers will be able to access European funds which are managed from Brussels and by the Member States (through the State and regions);
- Training, through the creation of platforms where universities, professionals and free companies will get involved;
- Simplification, by the diffusion of simplifying practices in Member States;
- Governance, by programming annual meetings with the Commission and representatives of the liberal professions.
The expanded participation in these funding sources of the professionals has been the subject of much debate: between the lawmaker and associations representing these categories such as trade unions and professionals who pushed to ensure this opportunity was also expanded to their categories.