FAQs on National Committees

The celebrations or cultural events must end within three years of the establishment of the national Committee (art. 2 clause 2.1 Circ. 5/2023).

The Council can grant financing and/or extension for up to a maximum of two years in cases of exceptional interest and/or organizational complexity (art. 2 clause 2.1 Circ. 5/2023)

The installation takes place with the first meeting of the national Committee, in person or by videoconference. On this occasion the members must elect by absolute majority (at least half plus one) the President and the Secretary-Treasurer, chosen from within their area, and establish the legal headquarters of the national Committee.

The minutes, n.1, signed by the President and Secretary (and thus all the subsequent minutes of each meeting to be held during the life of the Committee) will be sent to Service II of the General Directorate for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes (dg-eric.servizio2@cultura.gov.it) who will verify it by acknowledging it with a formal Certificate.

The certificate will be produced by the President and the Secretary-Treasurer at the Revenue Agency of the city of the Committee's registered office together with the request for the tax code registered in the name of the national Committee. The certificate must be presented to the chosen banking agency for the activation of a current account in the name of the national Committee with joint signature of the two bodies (President and Secretary-Treasurer). Tax code and IBAN will be communicated to Service II of the Directorate General for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes (email: dg-eric. ufficio2@cultura.gov.it) who will credit the assigned contribution to the national Committee's current account.

The national Committees are subject to the general discipline dictated by articles 39, 40 and 41 of the Civil Code; to Law 1 December 1997, n. 420; to the institutive decrees and the current Circular no. 5/2023 of the Directorate General for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes.

• The deliberation of a national Committee, which has no legal personality, must be adopted by a majority of its members.
• The management of the funds is entrusted to the President and the Secretary-treasurer, administrators and bodies of the Committee, who are personally and solidly responsible for the conservation of the funds, sign the contracts and jointly operate the bank account.
• All expenses must be approved in advance by the majority of members. ​
• The meetings of the national Committees and the related resolutions must be regularly minuted.
• The resolutions must be collected in a special register with the pages numbered, stamped and signed by the President and the Secretary-Treasurer, or in a digital register that guarantees compliance with the prescribed conservation, security and unalterability measures of the documents.

Sì. I componenti dei Comitati nazionali indicati dai proponenti in fase di istituzione, possono essere integrati da ulteriori personalità di alto profilo nominati dal Ministero della Cultura, tenuto conto della rilevanza e dell’interesse del Comitato stesso.

Yes, at any time. The Committee decides by majority on the integration of the new member. For the ministerial decree integrating the national Committee into Service II, the following must be sent via email:

• formal request for integration signed by the President;
• the minutes of the meeting in which the name of the new member(s) was approved;
• new curriculum vitae/new member/members;
• declaration of absence of situations of conflict of interest and causes of incompatibility and non-transferability and pending charges together with a valid identification document.

Yes. A member of the national Committee can submit formal resignations in writing to the President of the Committee who, in a Committee meeting, communicates them to the assembly of members and draws up minutes to be sent to Service II.

Nel caso il componente dimissionario fosse un organo direttivo, presidente o segretario tesoriere, il Comitato riunito dovrà eleggere l’organo subentrante, a maggioranza e in seno al Comitato, e comunicarlo al Servizio II di questa Direzione Generale con trasmissione del relativo verbale. Qualora si decida di eleggere un componente che non è all’interno del Comitato, si dovranno seguire le indicazioni prescritte nella precedente FAQ n. 10.

The new elected president/secretary-treasurer will have to deposit his signature at the Bank branch where the Committee's current account is opened. ​

Yes. To fulfill the obligations of transparency and publicity, it is mandatory for the Committee to activate a dedicated website on which to publish the institutive documents, the minutes of the meetings with the resolutions adopted, the administrative documents, all the news relating to the celebratory activities, events and demonstrations. For communication purposes, digital information materials or streaming events will also be published. Any expense for the creation of the web page is included among operating expenses. The website can also be hosted by the pre-existing site of one of the promoting institutions.

No. The role of member of the Committee is free, as provided for by the ministerial decrees establishing the national Committees in art. 3 clause 3 "For the members of the national Committee there is no provision for the attribution of compensation, attendance fees, indemnities or emoluments however denominated".

The following are eligible:

• expenses for the supply of goods or services (e.g. a contract with a service company for the management of an exhibition or a conference, a contract with a publishing house for the publication of catalogs of exhibitions held or conference proceedings );
• the transfer service for speakers and members of the celebratory committees;
• advertising costs, printing of promotional material;
• reimbursement of expenses (travel, meals and accommodation) of speakers coming from other locations to the Conferences included in the celebratory program as well as of members of the Committee away from home; therefore, expenses incurred by participants who are not speakers or members of the Committee are not reimbursable.

For the possible purchase of durable goods (e.g. printers, computers, plaques, commemorative coins, sculptures, books), it is necessary to previously establish, at the time of the establishment of the Committee, criteria and methods of devolution of the residual goods, pursuant to art. . 42 Civil Code

Pursuant to art. 6, clause 1 of the Circular. n. 5/2023, operating expenses must not exceed 15% of the assigned contribution and are:

• stationery expences;
• rental of IT equipment;
• reimbursements of travel and accommodation expenses for off-site members who participate in meetings (travel by documented public transport, any hotel, meals with the exclusion of any mission allowance).

These expenses must be approved or at least authorized in advance by the majority of the Committee.

The Ministry controls the expenses of the Committees by appointing an Accounts Auditor

Pursuant to art. 4 clause 1 and 2 of the decrees establishing the national Committees “The Ministry of Culture designates, with a subsequent provision, an accounts auditor. Any compensation and reimbursement of the auditor's expenses will be borne by the funds allocated to the national Committee".

Pursuant to art. 6 clause 1.1 and 1.2 “The General Directorate of Education, Research and Cultural Institutes supervises the activities carried out by the Committee; where these have been carried out in a manner different from the program approved by the Consultaof national Committees and national Editions or if serious irregularities are ascertained, the Committee will not be further financed. The delay in submitting the statement constitutes a negative evaluation condition for admission to refinancing for the following year".

Pursuant to art. 2, clause 4 of law 1 December 1997, n. 420 and art. 6 of the Circ. 5/2023, the reporting of the activities and expenses incurred by the national Committees takes place exclusively on the Ministry platform, by 31 January of each year and in any case within three months of the end of the celebrations.

The Secretaries-Treasurers of the national Committees eligible for contributions insert on the ministerial platform the report on the work carried out and the balance sheet of the expenses incurred, countersigned by the President, distinguishing operating expenses from expenses for celebratory activities. The same documents are also sent to the Accounts Auditor designated by the Ministry of Culture, together with the accounting documents justifying the expenses. The Auditor presents to the General Directorate of Education, Research and Cultural Institutes his own report on the regularity and congruity of the expenses incurred, as well as on adherence to the approved program.

Within three months of the termination of the Committee (art. 6 clause 1 of Circular 5/2023) the last report must be submitted with the document attached issued by the bank certifying the closure of the current account and the last bank statement with zero balance . Any savings will be returned to the Ministry of Culture by bank transfer to the Bank of Italy, Central State Treasury, using the IBAN code IT98N 01000 03245 350 1 29 3680 03 and indicating the reason for "Return of contribution".

Donations made to the celebratory Committees cannot benefit from the tax credit pursuant to art. 1, d.l. 31 May 2014, n. 83 (so-called Art bonus). Their field of action - described in the law of 1 December 1997, n. 420 containing "Establishment of the Consulta of national Committees and national Editions" - differs from that contained in the art. 1, d.l. n. 83/2014 which exclusively concerns donations received "for maintenance, protection and restoration of public cultural heritage, for the support of institutions and places of culture belonging to the public, of opera-symphonic foundations and traditional theatres, of concert-orchestral institutions, national theatres, theaters of significant cultural interest, festivals, theater and dance production companies and centres, as well as distribution circuits for instrumental ensembles, concert and choral societies, circuses and traveling shows and for the construction of new structures, the restoration and strengthening of existing ones of public bodies or institutions which, on a non-profit basis, exclusively carry out entertainment activities". Similarly, for national Committees and Editions, the case referred to in the art. 2, d. L. n. 83/2014 which concerns exclusively "the concessionaires or entrustees" of the public cultural heitage subject to maintenance, protection and restoration interventions.