Regional Act No. 23 regulating the gathering, cultivation, conservation and marketing of truffles.

The present Regional Act, which consists of 24 articles, regulates the gathering, cultivation, conservation and placing on the market of truffles, in compliance with the principles established at the national level by Act No. 752 of 16 December 1985. The aims pursued are the promotion, development and improvement of the truffle sector as well as the conservation of the environmental balance of territories concerned. All truffle species are protected (art. 2, par. 1). Damaging and uprooting of underground parts of truffles are prohibited, without any prejudice to the controlled gathering regulated under article 3. Truffles may be freely collected in forests and cultivated lands. Entities in charge of the management of parks and nature reserves may lay down further provisions, in order to safeguard the ecosystem concerned. Article 5 defines controlled truffle areas as those delimited surfaces where truffles grow spontaneously and where improving operations are carried out. Article 6 lists out the different types of improving operations, such as pruning, drainage and government of surface waters, irrigation on quarries' surfaces. Article 7, on the other hand, refers to cultivated truffle areas. Article 8 regulates the procedure for the recognition of truffle areas. Consortia may be established for the protection, gathering, marketing and improvement of truffles (art. 9). Article 11 regards the authorization that is required for truffles gathering. Furthermore, article 11 specifies the equipment which may be used as well as the periods and hours during which gathering is permitted. The Region shall allocate financial resources with a view to encouraging research and experimentation, disseminating information concerning the truffle sector, arranging training activities for operators of the truffle sector. The Regional Forestry Body shall ensure the enforcement of this Act by carrying out inspections (art. 18). Penalties are laid down in article 19.