August 2026 hailstorms: exceptionality declared for Cuneo and Novara

The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Lollobrigida, has signed the decree of October 7, 2026, which declares the exceptional nature of the hailstorms that struck the provinces of Cuneo and Novara in August 2026, granting damaged agricultural enterprises access to the provisions of the National Solidarity Fund. The measure is published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 240 of October 15, 2026, on page 37, with the official reference 26A05407.

From the request of the Piedmont Region to the ministerial decree

The decree accepts the proposal of the Piedmont Region, approved by resolution no. 4-3103 of September 28, 2026, through which the regional administration requested the Ministry to declare the exceptional nature of the adverse events and to identify the damaged territories. The Region carried out assessments showing that the events acquired the exceptional character provided for by art. 1, paragraph 2, of legislative decree no. 102 of March 29, 2004.

The reference regulatory framework is legislative decree no. 102 of March 29, 2004, which regulates the interventions of the National Solidarity Fund to support agricultural enterprises damaged by natural disasters and adverse climatic events. In particular, art. 6 identifies the procedures and methods for activating relief interventions upon request of the interested region, entrusting the Ministry with the declaration of exceptionality, the identification of damaged territories, the grantable provisions, and the periodic allocation of financial resources.

Recognized events and affected municipalities

Art. 1 of the decree lists the calamitous events declared exceptional and the agricultural territories in which the specific intervention measures provided for by legislative decree no. 102/2004 may be applied:

• Province of Cuneo: hailstorms of August 3 and 7, 2026; provisions referred to in art. 5, paragraph 3, in the territory of the municipalities of Feisoglio and Roddi.
• Province of Novara: hailstorms of August 7, 20, and 24, 2026; provisions referred to in art. 5, paragraph 3, in the territory of the municipalities of Barengo, Briona, Caltignaga, Carpignano Sesia, Castellazzo Novarese, Fara Novarese, Ghemme, Sillavengo, Sizzano, and Varallo Pombia.

Activatable provisions and the European framework

The measures referred to are those of art. 5, paragraph 3, of legislative decree no. 102/2004, relating to compensatory interventions for damage caused to farm structures in areas and for risks that are not insurable with subsidized policies assisted by State contributions.

At the community level, the decree is based on Art. 25 of Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2472 of 14 December 2022, which declares compatible with the internal market, in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, aid intended to remedy damage caused by adverse weather events assimilable to natural disasters. The measure also refers to the ministerial decree of 22 May 2023, published in the Official Gazette no. 203 of 31 August 2023, and the aid number communicated for exemption to the European Commission, registered as SA.109287(2023/XA).

What changes for agricultural businesses

With the declaration, agricultural businesses located in the listed municipalities can access the compensatory interventions of the National Solidarity Fund for damage suffered to business structures, according to the procedures provided for by legislative decree no. 102/2004 and the subsequent allocation of financial resources.

The decree was signed in Rome on 7 October 2026 and provides for publication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic. For businesses affected by the hailstorms of August, the declaration is the step that makes the aid concretely activatable: without it, damage to business structures would remain outside the scope of the Fund.

Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 240 of 15 October 2026, page 37 — Decree 7 October 2026 (26A05407)