Luca Zaia
Encyclopedia
Luca Zaia is an Italian
Venetist
politician, member of Liga Veneta
–Lega Nord.
Since March 2010 Zaia is President of Veneto
. Prior to that he had been Minister of Agriculture
in Silvio Berlusconi
's fourth cabinet
from May 2008.
, on the 27th of March, 1968.
In 1993 he received a degree in the science of animal production at the veterinary college of the University of Udine
, before attending a managerial course.
and in 1998 the youngest Provincial President in Italy
, working in different sectors: agriculture, safety, tourism and education.
During his career as a public manager he implemented principles of economization that are concretely realized in such projects as the Strategic Plan of the Province of Treviso and a master planning project that involved major European cities including Barcelona
, Frankfurt
, Glasgow
, Lyon
, Stockholm
, Seville
, and Valencia.
In the March of Treviso
, Zaia initiated a pilot plan for road safety that enabled Treviso—at the time the province with the highest number of road accidents—to reduce road accidents by 60 percent. Thanks to the awareness campaign on road safety the March of Treviso
has claimed numerous international acknowledgments.
Zaia’s mission has always been to support territorial identities through various projects: promoting the creation of the Consorzio di tutela of the Radicchio di Treviso and the Castelfranco Veneto
, by the creation of the first oenology university course in the country, and by outlining a successful master plan for the province.
From June 2005 to May 2008, while serving as Vice president of the Regional Committee of Veneto, he was in charge of the regional identity. Zaia has also been regional councilor for tourist and foreign trade policies, agricultural and zootechny policies, the rural development plans, the EU LEADER program, and economy and mountain development.
. The main objective of his political action is to put agriculture and the real economy once again at the center of national and international debate.
For this reason since he was appointed he has been personally involved in the EU debates and discussions. Brussels
became his second home. Thanks to this punctual presence, Italy
obtained from Europe more than 4.3 billion euro, to invest in innovation, quality and aggregation, and in measures that favor generational change and the return of young people to cultivating the land.
On an international level, after Zaia's nomination, Italy organized and welcomed the Venice
fisheries summit, the Verona
meeting on tobacco and the first agricultural G8
at Cison di Valmarino
in province of Treviso
.
The most obvious result of the Minister’s work in the EU
has been the negotiation for the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) reform. Italy managed to obtain what it wanted in all the four main topics debated: the future of the milk quotas; modulation (i.e. the transfer of resources from direct aid to Rural Development); measures that support regional or sectoral problems (article 68) and the recovery of the unused funds.
Zaia was able to do what many ministers before him have not – finally obtain an increase in Italy’s milk quotas from the EU Agriculture Council of Ministers. In Italy, more than 8,404 dairy companies have been affected by the milk quotas, of which only 4,264 are still in business. Zaia’s tough negotiation with EU Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel
, led to a five percent increase, meaning that since April 2009, Italian dairy farmers have had an additional 620,000 tons of milk production, allowing for increased revenues and lower overproduction fines. Historically, Italy has exceeded its assigned milk quotas (and paid fines) because the 1983-assigned quotas were based on official production figures, which farmers significantly under-reported to the government. Italy’s entire 5-percent increase in its milk production quota will be effective April 2009. The increased quota will allow Italian producers to absorb the productive surplus, minimize future overproduction fines, and increase milk production worth 240 million Euros annually. Industry sources also speculate that the EU decision to grant Italy the five-percent milk quota increase up front is aimed more at reducing the super levy bill than providing Italy an incentive to produce more milk.
To protect the environment and to establish better coordination within the European Community, Minister Zaia has proposed a task force between the police forces of the Mediterranean Countries more at risk of fires, ready to intervene in case of an emergency.
Zaia had a strict zero tolerance policy against those who commit food fraud. He established additional regulations and closer collaboration between police forces which resulted in a total of 27 seizure operations from September 2008 to May 2009 ending with the seizure of products that were spoiled, expired, or of unknown origin or content.
Beside the increase in food controls, Zaia worked on an ad-hoc Bill that, within the strengthening of the competitiveness of the food sector (currently the DdL is under examination of the Chamber of Deputies - A.C.2260), contains new norms on the obligation to have on the labels the origin of food products, be it transformed or non transformed products. He became the spokesperson of the ‘do not lead to error’ philosophy. The new rules on labeling agrifood products will also have a deterrent function of the commercial behaviors commercially or the illegal ones that damage the consumers.
Regarding the environment, Zaia implemented a one year suspension of neonicotinoids (tanning seeds which are suspected to kill bees). Zaia also saved a 2 million euro fund for the environment that initially had been eliminated for budgetary reasons.
To defend the environment of the single territories, under the Zaia’s guidance, the Conference State-Regions signed an understanding for the reorder of the Consortia of Reclamation that best answers the needs of the single territories.
Zaia also effected deep changes in personnel policies within his own ministry. He instituted new auditing procedures in all ministry offices for greater transparency. From June 2008 to March 2009, there was an average reduction in staff absenteeism of more than 50%. In addition, one director general's office and eight managing offices were eliminated in a cost-saving move. In December 2008, for the first time there was a “three year cost plan”, that fixed saving aims till 2011 and that from 2008 has already created an average saving of 2.5 million euro per year. 100 years after its foundation, moreover, a restructuring of the entire Palace of Agriculture has been started, in order to be more efficient, safe and save energy.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Venetist
Venetism
Venetian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Veneto, and promoting the re-discovery the Republic of Venice's heritage, traditions, culture and language...
politician, member of Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta is a regionalist political party based in Veneto, combining Venetism and fiscal federalism. Liga Veneta is by far the largest party in Veneto and the party of Luca Zaia, President of Veneto since March 2010.It was the first party of its kind in Northern Italy, predating Umberto...
–Lega Nord.
Since March 2010 Zaia is President of Veneto
President of Veneto
The President of Veneto is the supreme authority of Veneto, a Region of Italy.-Election:Originally appointed by the Regional Council of Veneto, since 1995 de facto and 2000 de jure, the President is elected by popular vote every five years under universal suffrage: in regional elections the...
. Prior to that he had been Minister of Agriculture
Italian Minister of Agriculture
The Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies is the head of the Republic of Italy's Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. The ministry had been abolished by legislative referendum in 1993, during a period of great upheaval and financial sacrifices, but it was...
in Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
's fourth cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet has been the cabinet of the government of Italy from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.As of July 2011, it was composed of 24 ministers, 4 deputy ministers and 39 under-secretaries, for a total of 67 members.-Sources:*...
from May 2008.
Early life
Luca Zaia was born in the Province of TrevisoProvince of Treviso
The Province of Treviso is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Treviso.The province has an area of 2,477 km², and a total population of 886.886 . There are 95 municipalities in the province .-Municipalities:-External links:*...
, on the 27th of March, 1968.
In 1993 he received a degree in the science of animal production at the veterinary college of the University of Udine
University of Udine
The University of Udine is a university in the city of Udine . It was founded in 1978 as part of the reconstruction plan of Friuli after the earthquake in 1976...
, before attending a managerial course.
Political career
In 1995 he became Councilor for Agriculture for the Province of TrevisoProvince of Treviso
The Province of Treviso is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Treviso.The province has an area of 2,477 km², and a total population of 886.886 . There are 95 municipalities in the province .-Municipalities:-External links:*...
and in 1998 the youngest Provincial President in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, working in different sectors: agriculture, safety, tourism and education.
During his career as a public manager he implemented principles of economization that are concretely realized in such projects as the Strategic Plan of the Province of Treviso and a master planning project that involved major European cities including Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, and Valencia.
In the March of Treviso
March of Treviso
The March of Treviso was a medieval territory in Venetia, between the Garda and the Julian March. The territory corresponded roughly to the region around the city of Treviso, including Belluno, Feltre, and Ceneda and the dioceses of all four cities. It bordered the March of Verona and the Muson...
, Zaia initiated a pilot plan for road safety that enabled Treviso—at the time the province with the highest number of road accidents—to reduce road accidents by 60 percent. Thanks to the awareness campaign on road safety the March of Treviso
March of Treviso
The March of Treviso was a medieval territory in Venetia, between the Garda and the Julian March. The territory corresponded roughly to the region around the city of Treviso, including Belluno, Feltre, and Ceneda and the dioceses of all four cities. It bordered the March of Verona and the Muson...
has claimed numerous international acknowledgments.
Zaia’s mission has always been to support territorial identities through various projects: promoting the creation of the Consorzio di tutela of the Radicchio di Treviso and the Castelfranco Veneto
Castelfranco Veneto
Castelfranco Veneto is a town and comune of Veneto, northern Italy, in the province of Treviso, 30 km by rail from the town of Treviso. It is approximately 40 km inland from Venice.-History:...
, by the creation of the first oenology university course in the country, and by outlining a successful master plan for the province.
From June 2005 to May 2008, while serving as Vice president of the Regional Committee of Veneto, he was in charge of the regional identity. Zaia has also been regional councilor for tourist and foreign trade policies, agricultural and zootechny policies, the rural development plans, the EU LEADER program, and economy and mountain development.
Minister of Agriculture
On the 8th of May 2008 Zaia became the Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Polices in the Berlusconi IV CabinetBerlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet has been the cabinet of the government of Italy from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.As of July 2011, it was composed of 24 ministers, 4 deputy ministers and 39 under-secretaries, for a total of 67 members.-Sources:*...
. The main objective of his political action is to put agriculture and the real economy once again at the center of national and international debate.
For this reason since he was appointed he has been personally involved in the EU debates and discussions. Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
became his second home. Thanks to this punctual presence, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
obtained from Europe more than 4.3 billion euro, to invest in innovation, quality and aggregation, and in measures that favor generational change and the return of young people to cultivating the land.
On an international level, after Zaia's nomination, Italy organized and welcomed the Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
fisheries summit, the Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
meeting on tobacco and the first agricultural G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
at Cison di Valmarino
Cison di Valmarino
Cison di Valmarino is a village and comune with 2,553 inhabitants in the province of Treviso-Prehistory:There is evidence that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times from archaeological discoveries in Follina from the Paleolithic Mesolithic eras, to roof tiles and other fragments from...
in province of Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
.
The most obvious result of the Minister’s work in the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
has been the negotiation for the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
(CAP) reform. Italy managed to obtain what it wanted in all the four main topics debated: the future of the milk quotas; modulation (i.e. the transfer of resources from direct aid to Rural Development); measures that support regional or sectoral problems (article 68) and the recovery of the unused funds.
Zaia was able to do what many ministers before him have not – finally obtain an increase in Italy’s milk quotas from the EU Agriculture Council of Ministers. In Italy, more than 8,404 dairy companies have been affected by the milk quotas, of which only 4,264 are still in business. Zaia’s tough negotiation with EU Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel
Mariann Fischer Boel
Mariann Fischer Boel is a Danish politician, serving as European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2004 to 2009...
, led to a five percent increase, meaning that since April 2009, Italian dairy farmers have had an additional 620,000 tons of milk production, allowing for increased revenues and lower overproduction fines. Historically, Italy has exceeded its assigned milk quotas (and paid fines) because the 1983-assigned quotas were based on official production figures, which farmers significantly under-reported to the government. Italy’s entire 5-percent increase in its milk production quota will be effective April 2009. The increased quota will allow Italian producers to absorb the productive surplus, minimize future overproduction fines, and increase milk production worth 240 million Euros annually. Industry sources also speculate that the EU decision to grant Italy the five-percent milk quota increase up front is aimed more at reducing the super levy bill than providing Italy an incentive to produce more milk.
To protect the environment and to establish better coordination within the European Community, Minister Zaia has proposed a task force between the police forces of the Mediterranean Countries more at risk of fires, ready to intervene in case of an emergency.
Zaia had a strict zero tolerance policy against those who commit food fraud. He established additional regulations and closer collaboration between police forces which resulted in a total of 27 seizure operations from September 2008 to May 2009 ending with the seizure of products that were spoiled, expired, or of unknown origin or content.
Beside the increase in food controls, Zaia worked on an ad-hoc Bill that, within the strengthening of the competitiveness of the food sector (currently the DdL is under examination of the Chamber of Deputies - A.C.2260), contains new norms on the obligation to have on the labels the origin of food products, be it transformed or non transformed products. He became the spokesperson of the ‘do not lead to error’ philosophy. The new rules on labeling agrifood products will also have a deterrent function of the commercial behaviors commercially or the illegal ones that damage the consumers.
Regarding the environment, Zaia implemented a one year suspension of neonicotinoids (tanning seeds which are suspected to kill bees). Zaia also saved a 2 million euro fund for the environment that initially had been eliminated for budgetary reasons.
To defend the environment of the single territories, under the Zaia’s guidance, the Conference State-Regions signed an understanding for the reorder of the Consortia of Reclamation that best answers the needs of the single territories.
Zaia also effected deep changes in personnel policies within his own ministry. He instituted new auditing procedures in all ministry offices for greater transparency. From June 2008 to March 2009, there was an average reduction in staff absenteeism of more than 50%. In addition, one director general's office and eight managing offices were eliminated in a cost-saving move. In December 2008, for the first time there was a “three year cost plan”, that fixed saving aims till 2011 and that from 2008 has already created an average saving of 2.5 million euro per year. 100 years after its foundation, moreover, a restructuring of the entire Palace of Agriculture has been started, in order to be more efficient, safe and save energy.