The issue of San Marino’s NCC chauffeur-driven car services operating in Italian territory has landed on the table of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The matter was raised during Thursday’s debate by Rete councillor Matteo Zeppa, who pointed to difficulties reported by operators and asked the Government to keep a close eye on the issue in its dealings with Italian authorities.
During the communications item, which began with the visit of Pope Leo before broadening out to various foreign policy matters, Zeppa called for firmer action on the NCC situation, warning that incidents involving San Marino operators across the border risk becoming a source of friction in relations with Italy.
Responding on behalf of the Government was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Luca Beccari, who offered a more cautious reading of the situation. According to the head of foreign policy, there are currently no grounds to speak of a genuine emergency or a widespread problem affecting the Republic’s NCC operators.
The approach outlined by the Secretary is instead to assess each reported incident individually, distinguishing any concrete issues from an overall situation that, according to the Government, remains governed by rules and operating arrangements agreed with Italian authorities.
The matter continues to be monitored within the broader framework of bilateral relations between San Marino and Italy, an area of particular importance for a sector that by its very nature carries out a significant share of its business across the border. The discussion in Committee thus points to a wait-and-see stance: attentive to reports from operators, but not, for now, treating the situation as a widespread problem in relations with Rome.
The issue could return to the attention of institutions should new incidents or operational difficulties emerge, while the Foreign Ministry’s guidance is to continue on the path of dialogue and case-by-case verification.
