SCHOOL UPGRADE INVESTMENT PLAN FRAMEWORK LOAN II

The project supports the second phase of the National School Infrastructure Plan, Piano Scuola, for the years 2018-2020. It involves a variety of safety and modernisation measures to improve principally anti-seismic resilience and fire prevention. The project comprises four funding streams, structured according to a set of legal decrees oriented at delivering over 3 000 well-identified schemes, including the extension, new construction, reconstruction and renovation of public pre-primary, primary and secondary schools.

The new project will continue to support the high-level objectives of the EU's 2020 strategy in the education field as well as the Bank's Innovation and Skills (Knowledge Economy) priority on Education and Training. It contributes to requalifying and upgrading the quality of education services provided in pre-, primary and secondary schools. The project capitalises on the government's Education strategy, reformed in 2017 with a new emphasis on digital considerations and Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro, or vocational training schemes. The operation is strongly supported by the Italian government, which approved a set of related budgetary and legal decrees, oriented at upgrading physical and human capital in Italy, with the overall goals of improving Education attainments and two key Europe 2020 targets, namely the number of 30 to 34 year olds with a tertiary degree and drop-out rates.

The project comprises the new construction and refurbishment of school buildings across multiple Italian regions. These types of projects are not specifically mentioned in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, though the project is covered by the Annex II of the EIA Directive in relation to urban development. The screening and respective EIA decision process and reporting will be assessed during the appraisal. The project will include new and refurbished buildings, which will be assessed for compliance with the Directive 2010/31/EU on energy efficiency of buildings.

The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation, 2014/24/EU where applicable, as well as Directive 92/13/EEC or Directive 89/665/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with the publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the EU, as and where required.

n/a