Statistical survey on construction activity – ISTAT / ISPAT

Data is collected monthly using two digitally fillable PDF forms: one for residential buildings (RE, relating to new builds or extensions to residential buildings) and the other for non-residential buildings (NRE). Each form includes a section for work on existing buildings (refurbishments).

Data is collected relating to the following planning permissions:

1. Planning permission;
2. SCIA (alternative to the building permit);
3. Public works;
4. SCIA;
5. CILA;

In the case of a new RE building, more than 50 per cent of its total floor area must be designated for residential use. This includes residential buildings to be rebuilt following the total demolition of the existing building. The above also applies to NREs.

Although incorporated into a single form, the ISTAT surveys ‘Statistical Survey of Building Permits – IST 00564’ (residential and non-residential buildings) and the provincial ISPAT survey on ‘Renovations’ are separate and both feature in the National Statistical Programme, which brings together all statistical surveys of public interest and are mandatory.

The Statistical Institute of the Province of Trento (ISPAT) is responsible for the Statistical Survey of Works on Existing Buildings – IND 0038 (renovations).  

Obligation to respond

This survey, which is classified as a statistical survey of public interest, is included in the National Statistical Programme 2023–2025, 2024–2025 Update (code IST-00564), approved by Presidential Decree of 6 November 2025. The current National Statistical Programme is available in the‘Legislation’section of the Istat website.

The obligation to respond to this survey is laid down in Article 7 of Legislative Decree No. 322/1989 and in the Presidential Decree of 6 November 2025 approving the National Statistical Programme 2023–2025, 2024–2025 Update; any breach of this obligation will be penalised in accordance with Articles 7 and 11 of Legislative Decree No. 322/1989 and the aforementioned Presidential Decree of 6 November 2025 (Annex: “List of projects (SDI and SDA) included in the 2023–2025 National Statistical Programme, 2024–2025 Update, for which failure to provide data constitutes a breach of the obligation to respond”, available athttps://www.sistan.it/index.php?id=700). The list containing the surveys for which, in the event of a breach of the obligation, an administrative penalty is to be imposed sets out, for each survey, the “parties liable to penalties” and any threshold values required to initiate the investigation procedure. 

Penalties

Once the deadline for data submission – set at 1 March 2027 – has passed, ISTAT will initiate the procedure for investigating and notifying breaches of Article 7 of Legislative Decree No. 322/1989 with a view to imposing an administrative fine, in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned statistical legislation (Articles 7 and 11 of Legislative Decree No. 322/1989 and the Presidential Decree of 6 November 2025), based on the threshold values for the reporting unit, as specified in the National Statistical Programme currently in force.

The project owner/freelancer downloads and completes the editable PDF forms, then either submits them to the relevant local authority (Technical Department) oruploads them to a dedicated portal. 

The municipal engineer is only required to finalise the process in the case of building permits or public works;for the other types of authorisation identified (SCIA, alternative SCIA and CILA), the municipal engineer must check that the data is complete before proceeding with the bulk submission to ISPAT.

The local authority must send the new editable forms to ISPAT on a monthly basis, either via the PiTre electronic registration system (code S210) or via certified email (see the ‘Contacts’ section below) 

Where no planning permission has been granted during the reference month (for one or both surveys), local authorities are required to report the “negative monthly figure” using the designated Google Form. 

For example, if a local authority submits PDF forms completed only for the section relating to refurbishments, it must declare the negative monthly figure for the section relating to building permits (ISTAT survey) via the Google Form. The same applies in the opposite scenario.

Local authorities must submit the new, completed forms on a monthly basis. In order to complete all the necessary procedures for sending the requested data to ISTAT, please ensure that everything is submitted by the 5th of the month following that in which the data was processed.

For the purposes of applying the penalties laid down by ISTAT for local authorities with at least 20,000 inhabitants, as set out in Article 7 of Legislative Decree No. 322/89 and the National Statistical Programme, the following shall be deemed
data submissions not received or received after the aforementioned deadline of 1 March of the following year shall be deemed omitted, andthe following shall be deemed incomplete:
(a) data submitted more than 30 days after the monthly deadlines set out in Annex 1;
b) data sets repeatedly submitted after the monthly deadlines set out in Annex 1, until a cumulative delay of 200 days
cumulative delay in the same year, in accordance with the methodology drawn up by the Institute.