Confederazione Italiana Libere Professioni
Confprofessioni
Confprofessioni - Confederazione italiana libere professioni - è la principale organizzazione di rappresentanza dei liberi professioni in Italia.
ID: 05003684165-09
Lobbying Activity
Response to Indicators on the functioning of equality bodies
24 Nov 2025
Confprofessioni, as the main representative organisation of liberal professionals in Italy, welcomes the European Commissions initiative to establish a common set of indicators for assessing the effective functioning of Equality Bodies under Council Directive (EU) 2024/1499 of 7 May 2024. The Directive strengthens standards for Equality Bodies in the field of equal treatment irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, and between women and men, including in matters of social security and access to and supply of goods and services. In the liberal professions, discriminatory dynamics tend to be less visible than in salaried employment. They often relate to barriers in accessing professional networks, training opportunities or high-responsibility assignments. To ensure that the new indicators capture these specific challenges, Confprofessioni recommends that the common list explicitly include: Assessment of institutional expertise: systematic evaluation of the qualifications, professional background and continuous training of management and operational staff, to guarantee that Equality Bodies interventions are grounded in robust, specialised knowledge on equal treatment and womens rights. Monitoring of activities and positive measures: structured collection and evaluation of actions implemented under the Directive, with a dedicated focus on measures addressing liberal professionals. This should cover prevention programmes, victim support mechanisms and initiatives promoting gender equality and the inclusion of protected groups. Internal composition and governance: verification of organisational structures, internal representativeness and adherence to anti-discrimination principles, including gender balance at management and staff level, in line with the Directives objectives. Integrating these indicators would allow not only for compliance with minimum standards, but also for a concrete assessment of Equality Bodies capacity to deliver effective, transparent and measurable protection of the rights of women and all protected groupsalso within the liberal professions. Confprofessioni stands ready to provide technical-legal expertise and contribute to the definition and operationalisation of these indicators.
Read full responseResponse to Quality Jobs Roadmap
28 Jul 2025
Recent global eventsincluding armed conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing energy crisishave exposed systemic vulnerabilities and underscored the urgent need for a more resilient, strategically autonomous, and socially cohesive European Union. The EU must enhance its coherence in international affairs, strengthen social inclusion, and foster sustainable and innovative economic growth. While political institutions at the European and national levels play a critical role in designing policy frameworks and mobilising financial resources, the energy, creativity, and commitment of civil society remain equally indispensable. Entrepreneurship, active citizenship, cultural awareness, and professional skills are fundamental drivers of the green, digital, and demographic transitions reshaping our economies and societies. A comprehensive strategy to increase employment opportunities within Europe must prioritise the improvement of skills, reskilling, lifelong learning, and the acquisition of transversal and multidisciplinary competencies. Strengthening social dialogue and expanding collective bargaining, ensuring fairer wages, will reinforce social cohesion and guarantee that businesses have access to a qualified and adaptable workforce able to meet evolving demands. The recent launch of the Union of Skills in March 2025 marks a landmark initiative to promote the development, updating, and portability of skills throughout the EU. Nonetheless, its success depends on structural reforms in education, training, and labour market policies, which are currently often fragmented across ministries and sectors, leading to inefficiencies and data silos that must be overcome. Effective implementation of this strategy requires close cooperation between the European Commission, Member States, education providers, and the private sector. Education and training systems must be adapted swiftly to respond to shifting labour market needs, especially in sectors undergoing profound green and digital transformations. Bridging skills gaps is crucial to enhancing Europes competitiveness, fostering sustainable growth, and ensuring that no region or social group is left behind. The liberal professions have a pivotal role in this transformation. The emergence of hybrid professional profilesblending technical, legal, economic, and digital competenciesreflects evolving labour market requirements. National recovery plans under Next Generation EU accelerate this shift, particularly in sectors such as sustainable mobility, culture, tourism, and community welfare. Professional practices are evolving towards integrated, multidisciplinary, and digitally enabled service models. Today, advanced digital infrastructures support architects, engineers, agronomists, health professionals, lawyers, and economists, facilitating their interaction with increasingly digitalised administrations and clients. Public institutions and professional associations must therefore prioritise investments in skills development, job quality, workplace safety, and inclusive employment policies that address barriers faced by women, youth, and persons with disabilities. In conclusion, Europes capacity to successfully navigate complex global challenges depends on a collective commitment to human capital development, social equity, and innovation. By fostering inclusive growth, quality employment, and dynamic professional ecosystems, the EU can build a more prosperous and cohesive future for all its citizens. This ambitious vision calls for steadfast dedication, multilevel governance, and the mobilisation of all stakeholders to realise the transformative potential of a truly unified and skilled Europe.
Read full response19 Jun 2025
Italys wage system is characterised by a deeply rooted tradition of collective bargaining, supported by a strong bilateral framework between employers and workers representatives at both national and regional levels. Employment contracts are governed by rules that, while voluntarily negotiated, are legally binding and form the basis of Italys industrial relations model. The Italian wage structure is among the most comprehensive and protective in Europe. It is defined by robust sectoral collective agreements, which include distinctive features such as the 13th and, in some sectors, 14th monthly salary payments, as well as a deferred severance payment mechanism known as Trattamento di Fine Rapporto (TFR). These elements are not typically guaranteed by law in other EU member states. Salaries in Italy are composed of fixed and variable elements: Fixed components include base pay (as defined by collective agreements), cost-of-living allowances (now generally incorporated into base pay), seniority increments, and over-minimum wage elements (which may be individual or collective, absorbable or not). Variable components include allowances for specific working conditions (e.g. night shifts, overtime, work on public holidays), as well as performance-related bonuses and productivity incentives. A notable feature of the Italian system is that the annual salary is commonly disbursed in 13 or 14 instalments, depending on the applicable collective agreement. The 13th instalment is generally paid in December to all employees and is considered an integral part of the contractual annual salary. The 14th, where provided, is typically paid in the summer. The TFR represents a deferred portion of salary, accrued annually, revalued over time, and paid at the end of employment. It is not subject to social security contributions and ensures an additional layer of income security for workers. In recent years, collective agreements have introduced supplementary welfare measures aimed at mitigating the erosion of real wages due to inflation. Wage data are submitted monthly by employers to the national social security agency (INPS), and analysed by ISTAT, the national statistics institute, which provides information to both national and European statistical authorities. Regional labour market platforms, often integrated with the national information system (SIUL), also collect and publish employment and pay data to support job-matching and active labour policies. Income data for self-employed and liberal professionals are monitored annually by the Observatory on Liberal Professions (established by Confprofessioni), a body recognised by EUROSTAT and part of the Italian national statistical system (SISTAN). The Italian model stands out for its emphasis on social protection and long-term stability through structured industrial relations. Nonetheless, wage growth in recent years has been limited, due to successive economic crises and a growing reliance on precarious forms of employment. We welcome the Commissions initiative to advance the coordination and possible harmonisation of wage policy at EU level. Building on objective, comparable national data to develop shared strategies can support labour market inclusiveness, business sustainability, and access for young people and women. Social partnerson both the employer and worker sidesmust retain a central and active role in shaping wage policy. Social dialogue is, in our view, an essential instrument for achieving fair, effective, and lasting outcomes. Regarding the potential establishment of a European minimum wage, we consider the proposal both timely and relevant. However, any such initiative must fully respect national industrial relations systems and ensure that collective bargaining and social dialogue remain the primary and binding mechanisms for setting minimum pay thresholds.
Read full responseMeeting with Gabriele Giudice (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto)
4 Feb 2025 · Priorities in relation to the liberal professions