The Italian cabinet on Tuesday
approved a decree banning cruise ships from Venice, Culture
Minister Dario Franceschini said, calling it a "historic day".
The decree also safeguards the workers involved, paying them CIG
lay-off benefits.
Franceschini said the ships would be moved to berths at the
industrial port of Marghera starting in August.
"It is not going too far to define this day as historic because
after years of waiting from the first of August the big ships
will no longer pass in front of St Mark's or the Guidecca
Canal," said the minister.
UNESCO said on June 21 that Venice's survival would be even more
in peril if the lagoon city didn't issue a permanent ban on
cruise ships docking there.
The UN heritage body said it would examine a proposal to put
Venice on its endangered list at its plenary session on July 16
to 31.
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