By law no. 86 of 9 March 1989, containing “general provisions on Italy’s participation in the EU legislative process and on the procedures for the enforcement of EU obligations”, the so-called “community law” was identified as the main, though not exclusive, legislative tool for adapting national legislation to EU law, taking into account the great variety of the fields subject to EU regulations. On 20 February 2002, by 451 votes in favour and only 13 against, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies finally approved the community law 2001 which contains provisions aimed at having direct application in Italian law, legislative delegations to the Government, Regions and autonomous Provinces for the implementation of EU directives, and authorizations to the Government to operate through the instrument of regulation for the implementation of directives concerning matters that fall outside the remit of the law. The 58 EU directives thus absorbed into Italian legislation include some of particular significance. They include the directive that enacts the principle of equality of treatment irrespective of a person’s race and ethnic origin: the directive obliges the Government to coordinate the provisions in force on matters of guarantees against discrimination for reasons directly or indirectly connected with race or ethnic origin, also through the amendment and supplementation of the existing laws, including the regulations concerning the discipline of immigration and the provisions on the condition of foreigner. The other directives, for the implementation of which the community law makes provision, regard a wide variety of sectors: ranging from food to consumer protection, from electronic trade to refuse disposal, from hours of work to medicines.
