Implementation of Directive 2006/123/EC in Italy: major failings in mapping street vendor stands

Priority question for written answer P-000999/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Pina Picierno (S&D)

Almost 20 years after the Bolkestein Directive (2006/123/EC) entered into force, Italy is still facing troubling difficulties in managing its itinerant trade sector, which are hampering proper implementation of the legislation.

The crux of the matter is Italy's failure to gather the data required to determine whether street vendor stands are an abundant or scarce resource - data which, as stated in the handbook governing the directive's implementation, is a prerequisite[1] for determining compliance with Article 12(1). The blame lies with the national, regional and local authorities' disjointed and piecemeal initiatives and their failure to work together effectively. Their poor record-keeping has caused systemic administrative fragmentation and profound legal uncertainty, prompting many municipalities to protect themselves by launching public tenders when it is clear, even without official information, that street vendor stands are not a scarce resource.

It is now clear that the EU institutions will have to step in to help Italy, where two decades of systemic dysfunction have made it impossible for the authorities to address this situation by themselves and bring the country in line with the Services Directive.

In light of the above:

• 1.Is the Commission aware of this state of affairs?
• 2.Will it provide the Italian authorities with support to enable an official mapping of these stands and proper implementation of the directive?

Submitted: 10.3.2026

• [1] 'Limitations on the number of available authorisations are only permissible if: (i) they are justified by the scarcity of available natural resources or technical capacity; or (ii) they are justified by an overriding reason relating to the public interest.' European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Handbook on the Implementation of the Services Directive, 2022, 5.2.6 'Limitations on the number of authorisations', https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/48169.