Redefining mountain municipalities: over 600 excluded, nearly 300 newly

Redefining mountain municipalities: over 600 excluded, nearly 300 newly included

The government decree implementing Law 131/2025 updates the list of mountain municipalities using new geometric criteria. According to the classification approved on 18 February 2026, recognised municipalities fall from 4,061 to 3,715, with 633 exclusions and 287 new entries.

The change has prompted appeals and concerns about the omission of socioeconomic factors: 73 municipalities filed a challenge with the Administrative Court of Lazio, and the association ALI scheduled a meeting with ten mayors for 29 April 2026 at the Chamber of Deputies press room.

Practical consequences for excluded municipalities may include:

• loss of priority access to the National Fund for Mountain Development (FOSMIT);
• ineligibility for fiscal incentives aimed at farmers, young entrepreneurs and renovation of primary homes;
• possible impacts on public services, from attracting professionals to school exceptions for small classes.

Regional changes vary: Liguria drops from 186 to 142 mountain municipalities, Marche from 107 to 78, Umbria from 91 to 57, Abruzzo from 227 to 200 and Tuscany from 149 to 113; Piemonte and Lombardy show increases. Valle d'Aosta and some alpine provinces remain unchanged.

Observers and local leaders call for an integrated assessment of mountain areas that includes socioeconomic indicators, service access and coordinated territorial strategies (EUSALP, Alpine Convention) to prevent the new classification from increasing fragmentation and regional disparities.