How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?  

Any legal and corporate department is always to be fully aligned with the business strategy and must have a clear understanding of the business needs, in terms of both timing and expected outcome, especially during periods of uncertainty. In this respect, we try to be involved from the very beginning of the process and to participate to all the different phases of any transaction ORactivity up to the final decision. 

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?    

Dismissal of thermal assets (CCGT) in Italy (480 MW), acquisition of solar assets in Spain (@175 MW), acquisition of solar and wind assets in France (@75 MW), acquisition of solar and wind assets in USA (@320 MW), conclusion of long term PPAs in several markets/jurisdictions (more than 500 GWh per year) and many others. 

What role does the legal department play in promoting and ensuring corporate social responsibility in your organisation?    

ERG is a MIB40 listed company so CSR is a key factor. We ensure full compliance with the relevant regulatory framework in all the jurisdiction where we operate and full alignment with our ESG Plan 2024-2026 (which contains also our CSR goals and is an essential part of the Business Plan 2024-2026 recently submitted to the financial market). 

What do you see as the major legal challenges for businesses in Italy over the next five years, and how are you preparing to address them?   

Unfortunately, the legal and regulatory framework is not clear and stable and sometimes it seems there is not clear view of how (and why) to develop it. There have been continuous changes of laws, regulations, rules and other guidelines over the last months and years, which in most cases are even inconsistent among them as they are enacted by different authorities with different powers (and hierarchy!), both at the national and EU level. This doesn’t create the right environment for a company to invest and to carry out business, especially in the energy sector which is one of the most highly regulated ones.