In view of its capillary presence throughout Italy, as well as the varied context in which it operates, the Group collaborates with central and local institutions in order to represent corporate interests and promote socio-economic development projects, constantly implementing positive dialogue with public decision-makers, which enables it to generate benefits that are not only circumscribed to the corporate sphere but system-wide, thus extending to the community as well.
In particular, as part of its collaboration with central institutions, such as the Government and Parliament, Poste Italiane constantly monitors the political agenda and holds meetings with institutional subjects aimed at presenting the Group's activities and projects, through continuous and constructive dialogue. This relationship is conducted in a logic of mutual benefit, as it implies a prior transparent discussion with the public decision-maker in which the Company's position on certain issues of interest is represented. This not only prevents problems of interpretation and application, but often generates opportunities, as the decision-maker can assess the impact and possible consequences of a given policy choice or regulatory intervention with a wider range of elements.
In particular, as part of its collaboration with central institutions, such as the Government and Parliament, Poste Italiane constantly monitors the political agenda and holds meetings with institutional subjects aimed at presenting the Group's activities and projects, through continuous and constructive dialogue. This relationship is conducted in a logic of mutual benefit, as it implies a prior transparent discussion with the public decision-maker in which the Company's position on certain issues of interest is represented. This not only prevents problems of interpretation and application, but often generates opportunities, as the decision-maker can assess the impact and possible consequences of a given policy choice or regulatory intervention with a wider range of elements.
Poste Italiane, in addition to ensuring a valid provision of services to citizens, the satisfaction of the social requirements of the community and, at the same time, the increase in competitiveness and business continuity, aims to maintain a constructive and persistent dialogue with the institutions in order to promote the sharing of territorial development initiatives
The institutional activity carried out by Poste Italiane develops, in particular, along two lines:
- towards the Group: continuous dialogue with Institutions and the Public Administration enables the business structures to be supported in meetings to present their activities to institutional representatives, in order to facilitate dialogue, intercept the needs expressed by the Public Administration and synergically promote the services of the entire Group. More generally, the protection of corporate interests is guaranteed in support of business development through the monitoring of the institutional framework, the evaluation of the impact of regulations, the identification of risks and opportunities, the preparation of texts and positioning documents with the specialist functions and the representation of requests to institutions;
- towards institutions, actively contributing to the institutional dialogue through an ongoing debate on issues of relevance for the country system, including through meetings involving a study of the main topics of interest for institutional stakeholders, in order to intercept the needs expressed by political representatives that can be satisfied through Poste Italiane's services. Institutional activity also extends to consultation on the impacts of regulations in the relevant markets, the provision of supporting information and knowledge and the activation of partnerships for project development.
INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES
During 2023, company-initiated regulatory interventions mostly focused on:
- innovation and digitalisation, which are fundamental for the strategic progress of the country, for the accessibility and functionality of the services offered to citizens and the connection with the Public Administration (implementation of the Polis Project and of the "Carta dedicato a te", a reloadable card issued by Poste Italiane as the implementing party and intended for the purchase of goods and services for a specific group of beneficiaries);
- protection of the mobile telephony and energy business, through interventions aimed at ensuring rules oriented towards market competition and customer protection;
- measures to encourage households to save and invest in savings products backed by government guarantees;
- regulatory simplification measures aimed at easing the administrative, accounting and procedural burdens involved in accessing the business incentive system and related facilities by beneficiary companies.
Collaboration with local institutions is oriented towards facilitating the sharing of development projects in the area, and identifying shared solutions aimed at accompanying corporate reorganisation processes, with particular attention to the specificities of the different territories. This approach aims to promote more efficient service delivery to citizens, meet the social needs of the community, and simultaneously promote competitiveness and ensure business continuity.
Promoting interactions with representatives of local institutions is essential for the Company in order to encourage knowledge and sharing, preventing potential critical issues related to the Group's activities. In particular, the onset of negative impacts can manifest through critical institutional demands or negative media returns. The management of these impacts takes place through territorial oversight and the appropriate central structures, through an internal analysis aimed at examining the characteristics of the various criticalities.
In order to evaluate and verify the actual quality of the actions undertaken, quality and quantity indicators are used on a monthly and quarterly basis inserted into global report analyses and managed with a comparative perspective between geographical areas and compared to previous years. This reporting is based on monothematic meetings and final analyses of the development of the commitments undertaken towards the institutions, on a weekly and monthly basis in relation to the requests received. During the reporting year, some 1,600 contacts with local administrators were organised remotely or by telephone, of which about 1,200 were related to the Polis Project.
Promoting interactions with representatives of local institutions is essential for the Company in order to encourage knowledge and sharing, preventing potential critical issues related to the Group's activities. In particular, the onset of negative impacts can manifest through critical institutional demands or negative media returns. The management of these impacts takes place through territorial oversight and the appropriate central structures, through an internal analysis aimed at examining the characteristics of the various criticalities.
The effective dialogue between Poste Italiane and the Consumer Associations started in 1999 and gradually evolved over the years until the first Framework Agreement was formalised in 2011. This agreement was subsequently renewed, in 2014 and again in 2018. The main objectives of this agreement are summarised in the following points:
Promoting interactions with representatives of local institutions is essential for the Company in order to encourage knowledge and sharing, preventing potential critical issues related to the Group's activities. In particular, the onset of negative impacts can manifest through critical institutional demands or negative media returns. The management of these impacts takes place through territorial oversight and the appropriate central structures, through an internal analysis aimed at examining the characteristics of the various criticalities.
In order to evaluate and verify the actual quality of the actions undertaken, quality and quantity indicators are used on a monthly and quarterly basis inserted into global report analyses and managed with a comparative perspective between geographical areas and compared to previous years. This reporting is based on monothematic meetings and final analyses of the development of the commitments undertaken towards the institutions, on a weekly and monthly basis in relation to the requests received. During the reporting year, some 1,600 contacts with local administrators were organised remotely or by telephone, of which about 1,200 were related to the Polis Project.
Promoting interactions with representatives of local institutions is essential for the Company in order to encourage knowledge and sharing, preventing potential critical issues related to the Group's activities. In particular, the onset of negative impacts can manifest through critical institutional demands or negative media returns. The management of these impacts takes place through territorial oversight and the appropriate central structures, through an internal analysis aimed at examining the characteristics of the various criticalities.
The effective dialogue between Poste Italiane and the Consumer Associations started in 1999 and gradually evolved over the years until the first Framework Agreement was formalised in 2011. This agreement was subsequently renewed, in 2014 and again in 2018. The main objectives of this agreement are summarised in the following points:
- constant improvement of the quality of Poste Italiane's products and services;
- promotion of transparency and fairness of the Company's relations with consumers;
- improvement of consumer awareness of the products and services on offer;
- provision of information for the correct and conscious use of products and services, as well as for the dissemination of the instrument of joint conciliation.
A further objective of the relationship with the associations is to follow the Conciliation procedures, as provided for in the Agreement itself, in order to peacefully resolve disputes relating to all areas of the Company's activity. Finally, in accordance with the principles established in the agreement, which promotes collaboration based on transparency and the sharing of information for the benefit of customers, the newsletter "Dialogue with consumers" was established.
Constant and transparent relations with consumer associations continued in 2023, therefore, on the basis of the Framework Agreement, the Consumer Forum and the newsletter "A dialogue with consumers". Among the topics covered are the Poste Italiane Group's new energy offer, the Polis Project, the Repricing of the BancoPosta Account, and the public consultation launched by Agcom on the subject of compensation in the postal sector. On the subject of training, two courses were organised for postal conciliators during the year, and a tour of 15 territorial meetings involving some 250 association representatives took place in November and December. The aforementioned activity is regulated and described in the company procedures laid down in Legislative Decree no. 231/2001, as well as in the procedures established on the basis of the Framework Agreement concluded between the Company and Consumer Associations. These procedures are referred to in the documents provided for by Legislative Decree no. 231/2001. The success of the adopted policies is being monitored and evaluated, with particular reference to the absence of critical interventions by consumer associations in national and local media.
Relations with consumer associations at central level are managed by the function "Relations with trade and consumer associations". This function consists of a manager, five resources in the Rome office and one in the Milan office. Relationships with consumer associations at territorial level, especially as regards post-retail conciliation procedures, are managed by the territorial offices of Institutional Relations and coordinated centrally in a functional manner by the office for Relations with Trade and Consumer Associations, with one resource assigned to each of the 6 macro-areas. The objectives of the function, included in the MBO of the responsible managers, are evaluated through the analysis of the requests for discussion, considering the percentage of questions reconciled, i.e. concluded with an agreement with the consumer associations, compared to the total questions discussed.
Among the main central institutions and regulatory and supervisory bodies with which Poste Italiane interacts are: the Italian Communications Authority (Autorità per le Garanzie delle Comunicazioni - AGCom), the Ministry of Economic Development (Ministero per lo Sviluppo Economico - MISE), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze - MEF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Ministero per gli Affari Esteri e la Cooperazione Internazionale - MAE) and the European Policies Department of the Cabinet Office. In particular, in the context of relations with the MEF, the Convention was renewed, which has the objective of regulating treasury services and movement of funds on behalf of the State.