The EU defines AI as "systems that display intelligent behaviour": they impact on all human activities and have technological, legal, economic and social implications. Many countries have begun to regulate them, but formulating comprehensive regulations appears to be a challenge. The European Commission, concerned that the use of AI may 'cause violations of fundamental rights', has regulated 'high risk' and 'unacceptable risk' sectors. And Italy?

National calls for tenders, regional funding, PNRR funds: there are many resources available to municipalities, but potential beneficiaries often seem to lack the motivation to apply.This is the case with the PNRR funds for kindergartens: more than 3,400 municipalities with a serious shortage of childcare services did not participate in the 2020-2021 'asili nido' calls. What are the reasons? And what can be done to identify (and support) the municipalities with the greatest difficulties?

In the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate, 203 women now sit, 33.6% of the members of Italian Parliament (a percentage higher than the average for EU27 parliaments). At the Presidency of the Council, after 64 governments led by men, for the first time Italy has a woman (only 4 other EU countries do not have a man at the head of the executive). Since 2023, the main opposition party has also been led by a woman. But the road to equality is still a long one. And it also passes, in 2024, through the renewal of the European Parliament.

To control costs and ensure greater administrative efficiency, in recent years many developed countries have approved territorial reforms that have led to mergers between municipalities. In Italy since 2002 the number of municipalities has thus fallen from 8,022 to 7,901. But what happens in the (rare) case of territorial division? The experience of Puglia, where five municipalities split voluntarily in the mid-Seventies

In the I legislature of the Republic, 4 female senators and 49 female deputies entered Parliament: 5% of those elected. In 2022, female parliamentarians reached 33% and, for the first time in the history of our country, a woman assumed the position of Prime Minister. The government led by Giorgia Meloni is one of the three governments with the highest number of women: 22. But at the local level, the path to equality is still long: out of 20 regions there is only one female governor and for every 100 mayors 85 are men.

Stalking, domestic abuse, rape, genital mutilation, femicide: from the first Extraordinary National Plan of 2015 to the many Regional measures, over the past years the instruments aimed at protecting women have multiplied. The enforcement of such measures, however, is often left to circular letters that make it difficult for the victim to get to know the available tools for her defence (and to request their implementation). The Impact Assessment Office zeros-in on anti-violence resources by drafting the first pertinent guide for citizens.

Ever since 3:36 AM on August 24, 2016, Italy has been dealing with the third major reconstruction process in less than ten years. So far, for the three earthquakes, the government has granted 40,5 billion, 1,8 of which in the past year alone. What, how and where will those billions be spent on? Is the regulatory framework - made up byseveral ever-changing decrees and 96 orders by Special Commissioner and Civil Defence authorities - clear and effective? Has the response given to the newly-homeless population been prompt?

In 1,833 days, Senators introduced 2,539 bills. What issues were Senators most interested in? Justice and constitutional affairs were the top scorers, followed by health, culture and pensions. Family and children follow armed forces, safety at work follows trade law. Foreign trade, local finance, Southern Italy and energy, combined, fall short of 1% of bills submitted.

In 2000 Italy abandoned compulsory conscription and migrated, after 144 years, to a leaner military model (from 265.000 men and women to 190,000) entirely composed of professionals. International peace-keeping and peace-enforcing missions became the core task of Italian armed forces, but the crisis that exploded in 2008 has deeply affected the fulfillment of the reform. And between reductions in personnel (expected to number no more than 150,000 by 2024), the ageing of the volunteers in service and severe cuts in spending and investment, even the commitment of troops abroad no longer reached the levels of the early 2000s.

Up until the fifteenth legislature, the Italian government chose which Community acts to send to Parliament for examination. The flow varied widely (2 documents in 1999, 115 in 2000, one in 2002) until in 2006 the European Commission amended its standard practice. Today, dialogue between Rome and Brussels is direct and continuous: during the XVII legislature, the Italian Senate "processed" 924 European acts, of which at least ten per week were flagged by the Government as being of national interest. How are Senators organized to cope with this pace?

If well-implemented, the evaluation cycle is an excellent tool for political decision-makers, making it possible to choose which one of a number of options is likely to produce the best results. In Italy, the use of these techniques - impact analysis and assessment (AIR and VIR), measuring administrative burdens (MOA), and consultations - is often undertaken merely as a bureaucratic exercise. A system of AIRs and VIRs integrated between the various levels of government is missing and only in very rare cases have approved acts undergone ex-post monitoring and assessment.

Emergency decrees, enabling laws, execution of regulatory powers: over the past decades, the Government has considerably expanded its regulatory activity, involving the Parliament - as envisaged by the legislator. From 1996 to 2016 the opinion of Parliament Committees was requested 2,786 times. And what were the results? To what extent have the opinions been followed up?

How many are there? Who runs them? What do they do? How much do they earn? In Italy, for years we have been trying the complete the pertinent map, which is crucial to sort out a fragmented system that lacks transparency. In 2014, the spending review special commissioner actually identified four different databanks. The Treasury Department seeks information every year from over ten thousand public administration offices. But too many have never answered.

From 28 April 2006 to 31 December 2016 the senators submitted 1,271 interpellations, 7,780 oral questions and 19,309 questions requiring a written reply, for a total of 28,360 parliamentary oversight acts, 6,913 (roughly 24%) of which were followed up, between the 15th and 17th parliament.

The evaluation of civil servants and the quality of the services provided to citizens-users have become increasingly important in recent years. The Senate is not part of the Public Administration, but nevertheless, in 2001 it started measuring its performances: a drop in personnel (-40% since 2006) and in financial resources (-32% in real terms), an increase in the services offered. Here is the latest report from the Senate.