Sommario: 

1. La vicenda trattata in sentenza. 

2. Le cooperative sociali in Italia: disciplina normativa “di favore” e “ostacoli” di origine pretoria all’instaurazione di “corsie preferenziali” con la pubblica amministrazione. 

3. Gli “indi ci rivelatori” della concessione di servizio pubblico. Differenze con gli appalti di servizi pubblici. 

4. Nuova normativa europea in materia di concessioni di servizio pubblico. 

4.1 Precisazioni in merito agli elementi identificativi. 

4.2 Affidamento delle concessioni di servizi pubblici: procedure competitive riservate e favor per le c.d. imprese sociali. 

5. È possibile ed auspicabile un rapporto “preferenziale” tra cooperativa sociale ed ente locale nella gestione dei servizi pubblici.

Abstract:

Judgement n. 1863 of 16 April 2014, issued by the Italian Council of State,
confirms the illegitimacy of direct award procurement awarding public service concessions – in the form of special agreement under art. 5 L. 381/1991 – to social cooperatives that are classified by Law as “B type”. With regard to the award of public service concession, no right is recognized to derogate from the obligation to establish a competitive procedure, set out by the EU Law, even where this may jeopardize general interests of constitutional significance, such as the social integration of citizens, on which the Italian conventional module is based. The recent adoption of Directive 2014/23/EU – with its expressed objective of further strengthening social objectives of the European Union – may establish, contrary to that which has, up until now, appeared to be permissible, the possibility of setting up a “fast track” for social cooperatives in the awarding of public services.