28 February 2017 – The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio, and the President of the Superior Council of Public Works, Massimo Sessa, presented today, at a press conference, the contents of the ministerial decree and the Guidelines for the classification of the seismic risk of buildings which, will allow the activation of the so-called “Sismabonus”, i.e. the tax incentives, provided for by Article 1, paragraph 2, letter c) of the 2017 Budget Law.
Minister Delrio: “An absolute novelty that is part of Casa Italia, for seismic prevention and care of the territory”
“Today’s is an absolute novelty, very important – said Minister Delrio before the signing of the decree -. The content of these guidelines is part of the Casa Italia project that we launched with President Renzi and on which President Gentiloni also insists a lot. It is a step in prevention and care of our territory”.
“Today we are not talking about reconstruction – specified the Minister – but about a long-awaited measure that kicks off the structural and organic season of prevention. The seismic bonus was introduced by the Stability Law, and like the ecobonuses, citizens will have a tool at their disposal to achieve a reduction in the seismic risk of buildings. From tomorrow 1 March this method is effective”.
“This is ‘progress advertising’, ‘secure your home’: we must prevent at all costs having to mourn the dead and use our money in reconstruction, rather than prevention.”
“Care and maintenance are two key words of this ministry – continued Delrio – on which I have insisted a lot since I took office. After roads, railways, dams, public buildings, now there is the cure, finally, that concerns seismic risk. Our country is a fragile country, this is the truth, and we must not hide. However, this fragility must not become a danger to people, it must become a stimulus to intervene – given the seismicity of our territory – on the high vulnerability of our building heritage”.
“Given that there is this bonus so strengthened – concluded Delrio – and that there is a procedure that professionals are able – in our opinion – to handle immediately, we really expect this access to deductions to start in a strong way because for Italians the house is a primary good, we know, but more important than the house are the good and safety of people”.
The Sismabonus as an opportunity for a national plan for the prevention and seismic assessment of buildings
The 2017 Stability Law, approved on 21 December 2016, intended to make the Sismabonus an opportunity for a voluntary plan for citizens, with strong state incentives, for the assessment and national prevention of the seismic risk of buildings.
The implementing instrument is the decree of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, to be adopted by today, 28 February 2017, after consulting the Superior Council of Public Works, which establishes the Guidelines for the classification of seismic risk of buildings as well as the procedures for the certification, by qualified professionals, of the effectiveness of the interventions.
The decree, with the attached Guidelines, signed today by the Minister and published on the MIT website, will be effective from tomorrow, 1 March 2017, allowing planning and building practices to start.
A fundamental step for the knowledge of the building heritage and the culture of prevention
The numerous seismic events that have occurred in recent decades have entailed enormous social costs for the community in terms of victims and impact on the life of communities and economic costs incurred for emergency and reconstruction.
In the last 50 years, it has been estimated that there have been about 5,000 victims, an average annual expenditure of about three billion euros for emergency and reconstruction.
This is basically due, in addition to the seismicity typical of the country, to the high vulnerability of our building heritage.
The Guidelines arise from the need to address the mitigation of seismic risk in all seismic areas of the country, promoting a culture of knowledge and prevention.
The Guidelines and the unit of measurement to prevent: Seismic Risk
The Guidelines were unanimously approved by the Superior Council of Public Works on 20 February. From the point of view of technical content, the Guidelines are a simplification tool that allow the implementation of the 2017 Budget Law, without requiring tools and concepts different from those already used by professionals in the application of the current Technical Standards for Construction.
They address, with a new approach, the issue of the classification of the Seismic Risk of existing buildings by combining: respect for the value of safeguarding human life (through the safety levels provided for by the current Technical Standards for Constructions) and the consideration of possible economic and social losses (based on robust conventional estimates also based on data from the 2009 Abruzzo Post Earthquake Reconstruction).
Seismic Risk: it is the mathematical/engineering measure to assess the expected damage (loss) following a possible seismic event.
It depends on an interaction of factors related: hazard (seismic zones) vulnerability (capacity of buildings) exposure (contexts).
Eight classes of Seismic Risk to evaluate buildings
The Guidelines allow a specific Seismic Risk Class to be assigned to a building, through a single parameter that takes into account both safety and economic aspects.
To activate the tax benefits, it is therefore necessary to refer to the classification provided for by the new Guidelines, with which a specific seismic risk class is attributed to a building. Eight seismic risk classes have been identified: from A+ (less risk), to A, B, C, D, E, F and G (more risk).
The guidelines provide two methodologies for assessment, one of which is simplified for minor works and the improvement of a single risk class, the general guidance on how to design risk reduction interventions to bring the construction to one or more higher classes.
The strengthened Sismabonus provided for in Stability
The 2017 Stability Law has therefore provided for strengthened measures for the Sismabonus, in particular:
Extension to seismic zones 1, 2 and 3, a large part of the national territory at risk (previously, only 1 and 2).
Stabilization for 5 years, between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2021
It concerns properties used for homes, second homes and production activities.
Deductions in 5 years (instead of 10)
Rewarding deductions, the greater the effectiveness of the intervention
In condominiums, assignmentof credit to suppliers or third parties for those who cannot bear the expense (with subsequent provision of the Revenue Agency).
Rewarding deductions with the 2017 Sismabonus della Stabilità
Compared to anti-seismic renovations without change in class (50%), the deductions for seismic prevention increase significantly if the building is improved by one or two classes of Seismic Risk.
For homes, first and second homes, and production buildings
- 70% deduction if it improves by 1 risk class
- 80% deduction if it improves by 2 or more risk classes
For condominiums common parts
- 75% deduction if it improves by 1 risk class
- 85% deduction if it improves by 2 or more risk classes
The amount of the expenses is not exceeding € 96,000 for each of the real estate units.
A Permanent Monitoring Commission
The Ministerial Decree of approval provides, among other things, for the establishment, at the Superior Council of Public Works, of a permanent monitoring commission, in charge of assessing the effectiveness of the seismic prevention action on the building heritage.
