The prerogatives and responsibilities of the Minister of Defence are established by art. 10 of Legislative Decree n.6,15 March 2010:

1)  The Minister of Defence, responsible for the Defence civil and military administration, is the highest hierarchical  and disciplinary body:

•  a) The Minister implements Government’s defence and security directives, submitted to the Supreme Defence Council and approved by the Parliament.
•  b) Heshe  issues guidelines on military policy, security and intelligence matters, as well as on Defence technical-administrative activities.
•  c) He/she  participates, directly or through a delegate, in all European and international organisations involved in defence and military security;
•  d) He/she  approves the joint military and operational planning, the ensuing technical-financial programmes and the planning for the industrial area of interest to Defence.

 

 

2)    The Minister of Defence proposes to the Prime Minister the annual report to be submitted to the Parliament on the state of the Service Discipline and on the state of the organisation of the Armed Forces, with regard to the restructuring objectives. The Minister reports particularly on:

 a) The operational situation of each branch of  the Armed Forces;

 b) The degree of volunteer female military personnel integration;

 c) The work of General Directorate of  Military Pensions, Employment of retired Volunteers  and Draft;

 d) The outplacement support activities in favouor of dismissed enlisted volunteers, implemented by the existing ministerial agency;

 e) The state of recruitment for initial careers in civil and military police and in the Italian Red Cross Military Corps.

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3)    The Minister of Defence can also, by his/her  own decree and upon proposal of the Chief of the Defence Staff, abolish or reorganize offices and bodies within the restructuring process of the Armed Forces (in accordance with art. 177).