Intercomites meeting 2026

Today, the annual Intercomites meeting required by law took place at the Italian Embassy in London, under the theme "End-of-term reflections and future prospects". The Manchester Comites was represented by its President, Cesare Ardito.

Also in attendance were Maria Manca and Barbara Gallino from the Italian Embassy in London; the Presidents of the London and Scotland and Northern Ireland Comites, Alessandro Gaglione and Giusy Arzillo, respectively; CGIE member Luigi Billè; overseas-elected members of the Italian Parliament Simone Billi and Andrea Crisanti; the Consul General in Edinburgh, Luca Fratini; and Consuls Alessandro Mignini (London) and Gabriele Magagnin (Manchester).

Regarding the Manchester consular district, it was announced during the meeting that the task force at the Italian Consulate in Manchester had completed its work, clearing much of the backlog of postal applications. This will make it possible to increase the number of in-person appointments available through the Prenot@mi portal.

On this occasion, the Comites once again called for a permanent increase in staffing at the Consulate, to ensure that the improvements achieved can be sustained over time.

Attention was also drawn to agencies offering consular appointments in exchange for payment, reiterating the need to scrutinise their operating practices and, above all, to increase appointment availability so that citizens can access consular services directly.

Regarding the work of the Manchester Comites, an overview of the activities carried out during the current term was presented, with particular attention to the Gocce d'Italia project, which, for the first time, brought together all three Comites in the United Kingdom.

The meeting also discussed the steps needed to facilitate the handover to the newly elected Committees, including the preparation of the documentation required for the 2026 annual financial report, to ensure operational continuity.

In closing, all participants expressed their appreciation for the work carried out over the past few years and for the cooperation between the various institutions of the Italian institutional network in the United Kingdom, which has made it possible to deliver numerous initiatives benefiting the Italian community.

Participants agreed on the importance of continuing this cooperation, recognising the contribution of each institution to supporting, representing and promoting the interests of Italian citizens in the United Kingdom.