PSI - Issue 84

Guerino Liberatore et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 84 (2026) 702–708

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vulnerabilities. By promoting interoperable and proactive models for information sharing, the Italian Legislative Decree 134/2024 (Italy, 2024) aims to bridge the gap between institutional planning and technical execution, ensuring that critical entities can withstand and rapidly recover from both man-made and natural disruptions. 4. The centrality of the transport sector: multilevel governance and operational chains The transport sector represents one of the most strategic domains within the framework of the Italian Legislative Decree 134/2024 (Italy, 2024), acting as a vital artery for national socioeconomic continuity. Given its complexity, the implementation of the CER Directive necessitates a structured "multilevel governance" chain, capable of synchronizing central policy with local operational execution. At the apex of this functional pyramid (see Fig.1) sits the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), designated as the Sectoral Competent Authority (ACS). The MIT is responsible for overseeing the resilience of transport networks, coordinating risk assessments, and ensuring that critical entities comply with the new technical and procedural obligations. Beyond the central ministry, the governance model integrates specialized technical bodies and regulatory agencies - such as ANSFISA - which provide the necessary data and expertise for monitoring infrastructure safety and security.

Fig. 1 – The functional pyramid.

These entities serve as essential bridges between institutional strategy and technical reality. On a territorial level, the role of Prefectures and peripheral branches of central administrations is crucial. As local enforcement authorities, they ensure that resilience measures are not merely formal requirements but are effectively integrated into the emergency management protocols of the various Provinces. This local oversight is particularly important for identifying regional vulnerabilities that might be overlooked at a national scale. Finally, the success of this regulatory transition depends on the active involvement of the "critical entities" themselves, including both public and private operators of essential services. The present work highlights that the Civil Protection Department and regional agencies should promote the creation of permanent technical tables and coordination committees. These bodies are intended to facilitate the sharing of best practices and the adoption of flexible, replicable operational models. To ensure the efficacy of Italian Legislative Decree 134/2024 (Italy, 2024), a dynamic national monitoring mechanism is proposed to track implementation levels across different geographical

areas, thereby closing the gap between legislative theory and systemic resilience in the field. 5. The regional operational model: the P-RES programme and systemic resilience

Considering the increasing interconnections between strategic sectors such as transport, energy, and telecommunications, the protection of Critical Infrastructure (CI) can no longer be ensured through isolated