COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 Country Report - ITALY Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life
Date: 2019-04-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Italy, application of EU law, climate change policy, environmental law, environmental protection, governance, green economy, public health, quality of the environment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.4.2019  SWD(2019) 123 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019   Country Report - ITALY       Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Environmental Implementation Review 2019:  A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life   {COM(2019) 149 final} - {SWD(2019) 111 final} - {SWD(2019) 112 final} - {SWD(2019) 113 final} - {SWD(2019) 114 final} - {SWD(2019) 115 final} - {SWD(2019) 116 final} - {SWD(2019) 117 final} - {SWD(2019) 118 final} - {SWD(2019) 119 final} - {SWD(2019) 120 final} - {SWD(2019) 121 final} - {SWD(2019) 122 final} - {SWD(2019) 124 final} - {SWD(2019) 125 final} - {SWD(2019) 126 final} - {SWD(2019) 127 final} - {SWD(2019) 128 final} - {SWD(2019) 129 final} - {SWD(2019) 130 final} - {SWD(2019) 131 final} - {SWD(2019) 132 final} - {SWD(2019) 133 final} - {SWD(2019) 134 final} - {SWD(2019) 135 final} - {SWD(2019) 136 final} - {SWD(2019) 137 final} - {SWD(2019) 138 final} - {SWD(2019) 139 final}  
 
 
This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European  Commission. 
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1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 3 

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 4 

1. 

TURNING  THE  EU  INTO  A  CIRCULAR,  RESOURCE-EFFICIENT,  GREEN  AND  COMPETITIVE  LOW-
CARBON ECONOMY .............................................................................................................................. 4 

Measures towards the circular economy .............................................................................................. 4 
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 8 
Climate change .................................................................................................................................... 10 

2. 

PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ................................................... 13 

Nature and biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 13 
Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services .................................................................. 14 
Estimating natural capital .................................................................................................................... 15 
Invasive alien species........................................................................................................................... 16 
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 17 
Marine protection ............................................................................................................................... 18 

3. 

ENSURING CITIZENS’ HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE ........................................................................ 20 

Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 20 
Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................. 21 
 ................................................................................................................................................. 23 
Noise 
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 23 
Chemicals ............................................................................................................................................. 27 
Making cities more sustainable ........................................................................................................... 28 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ................................................................... 32 

4. 

GREEN  TAXATION,  GREEN  PUBLIC  PROCUREMENT,  ENVIRONMENTAL  FUNDING  AND 
INVESTMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 32 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 32 
Green public procurement .................................................................................................................. 33 
Environmental funding and investments ............................................................................................ 34 

5. 

STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE .......................................................................... 37 

Information, public participation and access to justice....................................................................... 37 
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 39 
Effectiveness of environmental administrations ................................................................................. 40 
International agreements .................................................................................................................... 42 
Sustainable development and the implementation of the UN SDGs .................................................. 43 

2 

 
 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Executive summary 

Italy  and  the  Environmental  Implementation  Review 
(EIR) 

In  the  2017  EIR  Report,  the  main  challenges  identified 
with regard to implementation in Italy were:  

 

 

 

in  particular  by 
improve  waste  management, 
reducing landfilling and increasing separate collection 
of waste in the southern regions;  
improve  urban  waste-water  treatment  through 
appropriate investment; 
reduce  particulate  matter  and  nitrogen  dioxide 
emissions by reducing traffic congestion and biomass 
burning; 

  designate the remaining Natura 2000 sites as special 
areas  of  conservation  and  ensure  that  the  Natura 
2000  network 
it  achieves 
favourable  conservation  status  for  all  species  and 
habitats.  

is  managed  so  that 

Italy  organised  four  thematic  EIR  seminars  in  2017-2018 
on  general  issues,  waste,  air  and  water.  There  has  also 
been  a  dialogue  held  between  the  Commission  and  Italy 
about  the  EU's  action  plan  on  nature.  The  Commission 
launched in 2017 the TAIEX-EIR Peer-to-Peer (EIR P2P), as 
a  new  practical  tool  facilitating  peer-to-peer  learning 
between  environmental  authorities.  Italy  has  profited  of 
EU  support  with  the  EIR  peer  to  peer  programme 
activities  on  air  pollution  and  forests.  The  regionalised 
structure  of 
Italy  means  responsibilities  are  shared 
between the national and regional levels. This means that 
effective  coordination  is  needed  within  a  system  of 
multi-level governance. The government’s environmental 
programme must be achieved. 

Progress in meeting the challenges since 2017 report 

There  has  been  some  progress  on  waste  management, 
with  a  steady  and  consistent  increase  in  recycling  and 
composting  over  the  past  7  years.  However,  more  effort 
will be necessary to comply with EU recycling targets after 
2020.  The  Italian  government  continues  to  clean  up  its 
irregular landfill sites. Some of these sites have prompted 
the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to levy 
financial  penalties  against  Italy  since  2014.  Italy  also 
continues  to  be  subject  to  fines  for  failing  to  create  an 
appropriate  waste-management  network  in  Campania 
although progress has been made by the region. Progress 
has been made in the development of a circular economy 
national  strategy  and  an  action  plan  on  sustainable 
consumption  and  production  in  the  light  of  the  2017 
sustainable development strategy. 

On  water  management,  despite  planning  and  the 
appointment  of  a  special  commissioner,  there  has  been 
only  limited  progress  in  reducing  the  number  of  non-

compliant agglomerations under the Urban Waste Water 
Treatment  Directive.  This  has  led  to  the  imposition  of 
fines by the CJEU. Investments must continue in land-use 
planning (to reduce soil sealing) and in flood control. 

On air quality there has been limited progress in reducing 
emissions  as  a  whole,  and    agreements  between  the 
national  government  and  regional  governments  have 
been  concluded.  These  agreements  have 
included 
planning  measures  (such  as  limited  traffic  zones),  fiscal 
incentives and technical improvements to cars. However, 
for  both  particulate  matter  and  NO2  there  were 
exceedances  reported  for  2016  and  2017.  The  main 
reason for exceedances is Italy’s high level of road traffic, 
with  over  80 %  of  trips  made  by  private  car,  as  well  as 
inefficient  domestic  combustion.  Progress  must  also  be 
made  in  reducing  subsidies  to  company  cars,  achieving 
parity between petrol and diesel fuel prices, and investing 
in more sustainable modes of transport. 

On the Natura 2000 network there are still some special 
areas  of  conservation  waiting  to  be  designated.  The 
conservation status of habitats and species of EU interest 
must also be improved by fully implementing the Natura 
2000  instruments,  using  the  regional  prioritised  action 
frameworks  to  better  integrate  EU  funds,  and  planning 
investments more strategically. 

The 2019 EIR shows that Italy could make more efficient 
use  of  EU  funds  and  loan  opportunities,  by  avoiding 
reallocation  from  the  environment  to  other  sectors  and 
by  increasing  fund  absorption  with  targeted  capacity-
building activities. 

Examples of good practice 

 

 

 

Italy  has  created  specialised  environmental  police 
forces to deal with crime. 
The  Ministry  of  Environment  has  been  effective  in 
promoting  LIFE  projects.  Three  of 
the  most 
noteworthy  LIFE  projects  are  GESTIRE  2020  (to 
protect nature in Lombardy); PREPAIR (to improve air 
quality in the Po valley basin); and the Alien Species 
Awareness Programme (ASAP). 
Spatial  maps  used  for  air  quality  modelling  and 
downloadable data for analysis in Milan. 

  Green  roofs  which  have  the  potential  to  reduce 

flooding by half. 

  Regional  level  good  practices  to  promote  better 

water and waste management. 

  On  circular  economy,  stakeholders  platforms,  best 
practice exchanges, public/private alliances as well as 
awareness  raising  initiatives  have  proliferated  in  the 
last two years. 

3 

 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Part I: Thematic areas 

1. Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and 

competitive low-carbon economy 

Measures towards the circular economy 

The  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan  emphasises  the  need 
to  move  towards  a  life-cycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
reusing  resources  as  much  as  possible  and  bringing 
residual  waste  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by 
developing  and  providing  access  to  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

Following  the  adoption  of  the  Circular  Economy  Action 
Plan in 2015 and the setting up of a related stakeholder 
platform  in  2017,  the  European  Commission  adopted  a 
new  package  of  deliverables  in  January  20181.  This 
included  additional  initiatives  such  as:  (i)  an  EU  strategy 
for plastics; (ii) a Communication on how to address the 
interplay  between  chemical,  product  and  waste 
legislation; (iii) a report on critical raw materials; and (iv) 
a  framework  to  monitor  progress  towards  a  circular 
economy2. 
The EU has identified four parts to the circular economy3. 
It  has  also  created  10  indicators  –  and  a  variety  of  sub-
indicators – to monitor these parts. According to the EU’s 
monitoring  framework  for  a  circular  economy,  Italy  was 
one of the top performers in the EU for one of these sub-
indicators  in  2016,  when  its  circular-material  use-rate 
was  17.1 %4.  Italy  also  had  a  higher  percentage  of 
persons  employed  in  circular  economy  sectors  than  the 
EU average in 2016 (2.05 in Italy, 1.73 in the EU). 

In November 2017, the Ministry of Environment and the 
Ministry  of  Economic  Development  published  a  joint 
document  ‘Towards  a  model  of  circular  economy  in 
Italy’5.  This  strategic  document  is  functional  to  the 
implementation  of  the  national  strategy  for  sustainable 
development,  which  was  adopted  by 
Italian 
government  on  2 October  2017.  Together,  these  two 
documents  represent  a  valuable  contribution  towards 
promoting  the  circular  economy  in  Italy,  providing  a 
general  framework.  Following  the  publication  of  the 

the 

1 European Commission, 2018 Circular Economy Package. 
2 COM(2018) 029. 
3 (1) production and consumption, (2) waste management, (3) 
secondary raw materials, and (4) competitiveness and innovation. 
4 The indicator measures the degree of circular (secondary) materials in 
the economy in relation to the overall material use. Monitoring 
Framework website. 
5 ‘Towards a model of circular economy in Italy’, Ministero 
dell’Ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare; Ministero per lo 
Sviluppo Economico (2017). 

to 

identified 

the  need 

framework  document,  a  public  consultation  took  place. 
The  consultation 
revise 
regulations,  create  new  economic  instruments,  raise 
awareness, and boost research and development on the 
circular  economy.  On  30  July  2018  a  public  consultation 
for 
has  been 
resource efficiency and circular economy prepared by the 
Ministry  of  Environment,  the  Ministry  of  Economic 
Development  and 
for  New 
Technologies,  Energy  and  Sustainable  Development 
(ENEA).  The  consultation  ended  on  31  October,  the 
results are now being processed. 6. 

launched  on  monitoring 

the  National  Agency 

framework 

is  also  a  key  component  of 
The  circular  economy 
‘Industria  4.0’,  the  name  given  to  the  government’s 
economic development  plan7. Circular economy appears 
as  a  clear  priority  in  the  update  note  for  the  2018 
budget8.  

The  European  Social  Fund  and  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  (ERDF)  are  also  supporting  the 
improvement  of  the  regions'  capacity  to  plan  and 
manage  the  transition  of  the  local  territorial  systems 
towards  the  circular  economy,  respectively  through  the 
use  of 
tools  as  well  as  with 
opportunities  to  invest  in  the  circular  economy9.  At  the 
University  of  Tuscia  in  Civitavecchia  (Roma)  the  first-
degree course in Circular Economy has started10. 

integrated  policy 

Another  significant  development  in  Italy’s  promotion  of 
the circular economy is the entry into force in June 2018 
of ‘Made Green in Italy’, a voluntary system for assessing 
footprint  of  products11.  Other 
the  environmental 
important initiatives, such as the environmental footprint 
programme, were mentioned in the 2017 EIR. 

Awareness  of  the  circular  economy  concept  and  of  the 
opportunities  it  can  bring  is  growing  in  Italy.  Some 
examples of this growing awareness are described in the 
report ‘100 Italian circular economy stories’12, which lists 
best  practices  from  large  companies,  small  and  medium 
local  authorities  and  civil 
sized  enterprises  (SMEs), 

6 Ministry of Environment, 2018. 
7 National Reform Programme 2018, pp.18-20, pp.105-106. 
8 Nota di Aggiornamento del DEF, 27.9.2018, p.87, pp.104-107. 
9 CREIAMO, conference 11.4.2018 
10 University of Tuscia  
11 Ministry of Environment. 
12 ‘100 Italian circular economy stories’, promoted by Enel and the 
Symbola Foundation. 

4 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Italian 

society.  Important  events  are  taking  place  nationally13, 
including  in  the  south14.  The  EU  is  providing  other 
support,  such  as  the  ERDF  supported  FORCE  project, 
which  encourages  cities  to  cooperate  to  promote  the 
circular economy. This project involves the city of Genoa 
taking  a  lead  on  the  issue  of  wood  waste15.  The  2018 
‘Restarter’  project  encourages  the  creation  of  a  circular 
economy  for  second-hand  clothes16.  In  addition,  the 
National  Council  of  the  Green  Economy  has  encouraged 
the creation of the States General of the Green Economy, 
a  grouping  of  66  business  organisations  that  represent 
the  green  economy  in  Italy.  In  November  2017,  eight 
Sanpaolo, 
large 
Novamont,  Costa  Crociere,  Salvatore  Ferragamo  group, 
Bulgari,  Fater  e  Eataly)  have  launched  an  Alliance  for 
Circular  Economy  and  signed  a  ‘poster’  to  identify  and 
disseminate  national  best  practices  on  circularity.  Such 
an  Alliance  aims  at  reinforcing  the  commitment  to 
continuous improvement of Italian companies in terms of 
innovation, 
environmental 
performance along the entire value chain.  
In  November  2018,  Confindustria17  presented 
the 
document  ‘The  role  of  Italian  industry  in  the  circular 
economy’  which  highlights  the  crucial  role  that  the 
industry can plays to facilitate the transition towards the 
circular economy. 

competitiveness 

companies 

Intesa 

(Enel, 

and 

The  States  General  of  the  Green  Economy  also  works  in 
collaboration  with  the  Ministries  of  Environment  and 
Economic  Development18.  They  meet  yearly  and 
presented  the  2018  report  on  green  economy19  in  the 
last meeting in November 2018. 

Sustainable  Development 

Foundation  also 
Italy’s 
produces regular reports on the green economy20, and on 
4 May  2018,  it  launched  the  Circular  Economy  Network 
with the support of 13 companies and consortia. 

Furthermore,  ENEA  has  launched  in  2018  the  Italian 
Circular  Economy  Stakeholder  Platform21  that,  like  the 
European  one22,  is  a  network  of  networks  with  the 
objective  of  creating  a  point  of  national  convergence  of 
initiatives,  experiences,  criticalities,  perspectives  of  the 
Italian system on circular economy. 

On 21 April 2017 a cooperation agreement was signed for 

13 for example, the Italian consumer association, Altroconsumo.it, held 
an event in September 2018 focused on the circular economy. 
14 Naples Energy and Environment Agency, Conference on Circular 
Economy, 28-29.11.2018 
15 FORCE. 
16 Restarter. 
17

General Confederation of Italian Industry. 

18 States General. 
19 States General, 2018 report on the state on green economy 
20 Sustainable Development Foundation. 
21 ENEA Italian Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform.  
22 i.e., the European Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform. 

the  constitution  of  an  "Industrial  Symbiosis  National 
Network  (SUN)"  between  ENEA  and  the  Ministry  of 
Environment,  the  Ministry  for  Economic  Development, 
Confindustria,  several  Italian  universities  and  various 
associations operating in the field of the environment. 

is  87 %),  and  93 %  of 

In the special Eurobarometer survey of October 2017 on 
attitudes of EU citizens towards the environment, 93 % of 
Italians said they were highly concerned about the effects 
of  plastic  products  on  the  environment  (the  EU-28 
average 
Italians  said  were 
concerned  about  the  impact  of  chemicals  (the  EU-28 
average is 90 %)23. Moreover,  79 % of Italians supported 
greater  EU  investment  in  environmental  protection  (this 
was less than the EU-28 average of 85 %). Italians appear 
to 
and 
economy 
environmental protection measures. 

initiatives 

support 

circular 

Private investment, jobs and gross value added in circular 
economy sectors of the economy have increased in Italy 
from EUR 17 438 million in 2008 to EUR 17 756.6 million 
in 201524. 
In  terms  of  resource  productivity25  (how  efficiently  the 
economy  uses  material  resources  to  produce  wealth), 
Italy  performs  better  than  the  EU  average.  In  2017,  it 
produced  an  average  of  EUR 3.10  per  kg  of  material 
resources (the EU average is EUR 2.04)26. Figure 1 shows 
that Italy has seen a small but steady increase in resource 
productivity since 2010; there has been some decoupling 
with economic growth over the same period. It also had 
the  fourth-highest  resource  productivity  in  the  EU  in 
2017. 
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2010 - 201727 

Overall, around 345 000 Italian companies invested in the 

23 European Commission, 2017, Special 468 Eurobarometer, ‘Attitudes 
of European citizens towards the environment’. 
24 Eurostat, Private investments, jobs and gross value added related to 
circular economy sectors. 
25 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic 
product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 
26 Eurostat, Resource productivity. 
27 Eurostat, Resource productivity. 

5 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

green  economy  between  2011  and  2017,  and  around 
24.9 %  of  all 
Italian  businesses  and  30.7%  of 
manufacturing  can  be  considered  ‘green’  in  2017.  The 
rate  of  innovation  of  these  green  businesses  was  twice 
that of other businesses in 201728. 

Recent  research  on  more 
than  600  waste-water 
treatment plants in Italy, covering approximately 25 % of 
the  country’s  total  load  of  treated  sewage,  reveals  that 
just  40 %  of  plants  engage  in  some  form  of  material  or 
energy recovery29. The research identified three primary 
driving forces that promote resource-recovery: technical 
feasibility,  and  socio-legislative 
reliability,  economic 
acceptance.  

As of September 2018, Italy  had 9929 products and 325 
licences  registered  under  the  EU’s  ecolabel  scheme  out 
of  71  707  and  21607  licences  in  the  EU,  the  second-
highest figure after Spain30. Moreover, 983 organisations 
in  EMAS31,  the 
from 
European Commission’s eco-management audit scheme. 

Italy  are  currently  registered 

SMEs and resource efficiency 

SMEs are the backbone of the Italian economy. But Italy 
performs badly on some indicators for the environmental 
performance  of  its  SMEs  (see  Figure  2),  for  which  it 
received  a  Suggested  Action  in  the  2017  EIR.  On  a 
positive  note,  the  share  of  Italian  SMEs  that  generate 
most of their turnover from green products or services is 
higher  than  the  EU  average.  The  percentage  of  SMEs 
taking resource-efficiency measures in Italy has increased 
between 2015 and 2017. 

the 

in  promoting 

the 
Since  2008,  policy  progress 
environmental performance of SMEs has been moderate. 
Italy  has  formulated  its  main  policies  and  strategies 
within 
international 
framework  of  EU  and 
commitments.  Regulation  and  legislation  took  the  form 
of  support  measures  and  financial  incentives,  such  as 
green  and  white  certificates,  feed-in  premiums  for 
photovoltaic  electricity,  reduction  of  electricity  costs  for 
small  companies,  and  tax  deductions  for  upgrading  the 
environmental  performance  of  buildings.  Only  16%  of 
SMEs  offer  green  product  or  services,  less  than  the  EU 
average  (25%).  Smaller  firms  have  fewer  resources  and 
less  capital.  They  therefore  face  more  challenges  in 
meeting  the  high  cost  of  research,  and  in  accessing 
European and national funding. 

28 Symbola, GreenItaly2018, p.8. 
29 Papa, M., Foladori, P., Guglielmi, L., Bertanza, G. (2017). How far are 
we from closing the loop of sewage resource recovery? A real picture of 
municipal wastewater treatment plants in Italy. Journal of 
Environmental Management, 198: 9-15. 
30 European Commission, Ecolabel Facts and Figures. 
31 As of May 2018. European Commission, Eco-Management and Audit 
Scheme. 

6 

Figure 2: Environmental performance of SMEs32 

Several  of  these  incentives  were  repeatedly  changed, 
which  has  created  some  uncertainty  in  the  markets. 
SMEs  were  not  a  specific  target  of  these  incentives,  but 
they are among the beneficiaries. 

latest  Eurobarometer  survey 

The 
‘SMEs,  resource 
efficiency  and  green  markets’33  shows  improvements 
have been  made on  some of the  main indicators. Public 
support  for  Italian  SMEs  seems  to  be  acknowledged  by 
the  survey  respondents,  as  64 %  of  ‘green’  SMEs  are 
satisfied  with  the  assistance  they  receive  from  the 
government (compared to an average of 58 % in the EU-
28).  17 %  of  Italian  SMEs  make  more  than  75 %  of  their 
turnover  from  green  products  or  services.  This  is  better 
than the EU-28 average: only 14 % of EU-28 SMEs make 
more than 75 % of their turnover from green products or 
services.  While  the  average  number  of  employees 
working in green jobs in the EU is 4, in Italy it is 2.6. 

For  the  year  2018  it  is  expected  that  63.5%  of  the  new 
contracts 
research  are  green, 
demonstrating  the  ever  closer  link  between  the  green 
economy and business innovation34. 

for  design  and 

Nonetheless,  the  Eurobarometer  shows  there  is  still 
room for improvement. For example, only 44 % of Italian 

32 European Commission, 2018-SBA factsheet: Italy, p. 15. 
33 European Commission, Flash Eurobarometer 456: SMEs, resource 
efficiency and green markets, 2018. 
34 Symbola – Green Italy 2018 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

SMEs have invested up to 5 % of their annual turnover in 
becoming  more  resource  efficient  (compared  to  an  EU 
average of 50 % of SMEs). And only 20 % of Italian SMEs 
say they offer green products of services (or are planning 
to  do  so  in  less  than  two  years)  compared  to  an  EU 
average of 33 % of SMEs. 

Figure 3: 2017 Eco-innovation index (EU=100)39 

in 

and 

research 

innovation 

Over  the  2014-2020  programming  period,  the  ERDF  will 
SME 
and 
invest 
competitiveness.  Its  investment  criteria  are  based  on 
national and regional ‘smart specialisation’ strategies. For 
Italy,  the  national  strategy  identifies  five  focus  areas, 
including  energy,  the  environment  and  sustainable 
industry.  For  example,  the  Piedmont  ERDF  operational 
programme  2014-2020  is  contributing  to  a  loan  fund  to 
support 
environmental 
projects 
sustainability35. 

innovative 

for 

Nationally,  the  government’s  ‘Start  Up’  and  ‘Innovative 
SMEs’  initiatives  have  been  supported  by  the  annual 
budget 2017 and Industria 4.0 36. Development contracts 
are  being  put  into  place  to  help  businesses  invest  more 
productively  in  the  environmental  field37.  This  EU  and 
national  support 
is  helping  SMEs  to  become  more 
resource efficient. 

Eco-innovation 
Italy ranked 19th on the European Innovation Scoreboard 
2018,  with  a  2-point  improvement  since  201038.  The 
country  has  a  better  position  in  the  Eco-innovation 
Scoreboard  2017,  when  Italy  moved  up  in  the  EU-28 
ranking from 10th to 7th place (Figure 3). 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR,  there are two barriers to 
eco-innovation and the circular economy in Italy. The first 
barrier 
in  the 
economy  and  technology.  The  second  barrier  is  caused 
by policy and regulation. 

includes  problems 

is  structural,  and 

For  an  advanced  economy,  Italy  has  very  few  natural 
resources.  Italy  has  a  strong  manufacturing  sector,  but 
the  cost  of  imported  raw  materials  and  their  impact  on 
the  final  cost  of  products  is  high.  For  this  reason,  eco-
innovative  initiatives  might  be  a  way  to  increase  the 
productivity of resource use and promote eco-innovation 
in processes, products and consumption. 

SMEs  have  fewer  resources  and 
less  capital.  They 
therefore face more challenges in meeting the high cost 
of  research,  and  in  accessing  European  and  national 
funding.  However,  according  to  the  2017  ‘Green  Italy’ 
report,  354 580  Italian  companies  invested  in  green 
products  and  technologies  in  the  period  2011-2016  (or 
expect to do so by the end of 2017). This is 27.1 % of all 
in  the  country,  and  33.8 %  of 
Italian  companies 
companies 
In  2018,  about  207 
thousand companies have invested, or intended to do so 
by  December,  on  sustainability  and  efficiency.  79%  of 
manufacturing  companies  have  developed  innovation 
activities.  Among  the  companies  investing  in  the  green, 
26%  have  already  taken  measures  related  to  'Industria 
4.0'40. 

in  manufacturing. 

Figure 4: Italy’s eco-innovation performance 

35 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report, Piedmont, pp.5-6. 
36 National Reform Programme 2018, p. 104. 
37 National Reform Programme 2018, p. 106. 
38 European Commission, European innovation Scoreboard 2018, p. 15. 

2019 priority action 

 

Increase 
innovation in SMEs. 

the  available 

risk  capital 

for  eco-

39 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2017. 
40 Symbola – GreenItaly2018 

7 

                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Waste management 

Turning waste into a resource is supported by: 
legislation,  which 
implementing  EU  waste 
(i)  fully 
includes  the  waste  hierarchy,  the  need  to  ensure 
separate  collection  of  waste,  the 
landfill  diversion 
targets, etc.; 
(ii) reducing waste generation and waste generation per 
capita in absolute terms; and  
(iii)  limiting  energy  recovery  to  non-recyclable  materials 
and  phasing  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  or  recoverable 
waste. 

This  section  focuses  on  management  of  municipal 
waste41  for  which  EU  law  sets  mandatory  recycling 
targets42. 

Municipal  waste  generation  has  slightly  decreased  in 
2017 in Italy. At 489 kg per year per inhabitant, it is now 
above  the  EU  average  estimate  of  487 kg  per  year  per 
inhabitant43. 

Figure  5  depicts  municipal  waste  by  treatment  type  in 
Italy  in  kg  per  capita.  It  shows  there  has  been  a  steady 
increase  in  recycling  and  composting,  and  a  decrease  in 
landfilling. 

A  significant  obstacle  to  eco-innovation  in  the  country 
remains  the  low  rate  of  R&D  and  investment.  The 
availability  of  risk  capital  for  both  the  creation  and 
continuation  of  eco-innovative  projects  remains  scarce. 
This problem is due to the low level of public support for 
SMEs that wish to take part in the green economy. 

Figure 6 shows that 48 % of municipal waste was recycled 
in  2017  (including  composting  and  material  recycling), 
although  there  are  large  differences  between  regions. 
This is equivalent to the EU average of 46 % and slightly 
below the EU target to recycle 50 % of material waste by 
202044. Italy is not considered at risk of missing the 2020 
targets  for  reuse/recycling  of  waste45.  There  has  been  a 
steady  increase  in  recycling  and  composting  rates  over 
the past 7 years. However, more effort will be necessary 
for Italy to comply with the recycling targets planned for 

41 Municipal waste consists of mixed waste and separately collected 
waste from households and from other sources, where such waste is 
similar in nature and composition to waste from households. This is 
without prejudice to the allocation of responsibilities for waste 
management between public and private sectors. 
42 See Article 11.2 of Directive 2008/98/EC. This Directive was amended 
in 2018 by Directive (EU) 2018/851, and more ambitious recycling 
targets were introduced for the period up to 2035. 
43 Eurostat, Municipal waste by waste management operations. 
44 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by 
Eurostat (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates 
and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50 % recycling of 
municipal waste. 
45 COM (2018) 656. 

the period after 202046, although some regions will have 
to make more efforts than others do as described later in 
this section. 

Figure  5:  Municipal  waste  by  treatment  in  Italy  2010-
2017 47 

In  2017,  23 %  of  municipal  waste  was  landfilled  (the  EU 
average  was  24 %).  Landfilling  of  municipal  waste  has 
been  consistently  decreasing  since  2002  in  favour  of 
other  more  environmentally  friendly  treatment  options 
(so  higher  in  the  ‘waste  hierarchy’),  including  separate 
collection  and  recycling48.  Incineration  rates  are  also 
falling. 19 % of waste was incinerated in 2017, below the 
EU average of around 28 %. As stated in the 2017 EIR, the 
Italian  government  continues  to  clean  up  the  irregular 
landfill  sites  that  have  been  the  cause  of  financial 
penalties from the CJEU since 2014. 

Waste  policies  in  Italy  are  implemented  at  regional, 
provincial and municipal levels under national umbrellas. 
Despite  overall  progress 
in  separate  collection  and 
recycling,  the  differences  in  performance  at  the  local 
level can be high. High recycling rates are common in the 
north of the country, and in some parts of the centre and 
south.  For  example,  in  the  province  of  Benevento  in 
Campania,  70.9 %  of  waste  is  separated  and  recycled, 
while  in  the  province  of  Oristano  in  Sardinia,  71 %  of 

46 Directive (EU) 2018/851, Directive (EU) 2018/852, Directive (EU) 
2018/850 and Directive (EU) 2018/849 amend the previous waste 
legislation and set more ambitious recycling targets for the period up to 
2035. These targets will be taken into consideration to assess progress 
in future Environmental Implementation Reports. 
47 Eurostat, Municipal waste by waste operations, at national level 
ISPRA and the Sustainable Development Foundation produce annual 
reports on waste in Italy. However, the data used here is mainly from 
Eurostat, unless stated otherwise. 
48 Italy has introduced measures to increase separated collection and 
recycling since 1997. 

8 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

less  well 

the  CJEU 

waste  is  recycled49.  However,  in  general  the  centre  and 
south  of  the  country  perform 
in  waste 
management  than  the  north.  Campania  is  continuing  to 
pay  fines  for  poor  waste  management,  after  it  was 
its  previous  waste-
sanctioned  by 
management  policies.  However,  steady  progress  has 
been  made  in  Campania  to  put  in  place  a  functional 
waste  management  network.  A  protocol  was  signed  in 
November 2018 to deal  with the so-called ‘land of fires’ 
containing an action plan50. 
Figure 6: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2010-2017 51 

for 

Emilia-Romagna has a separate collection rate of 61.8 %, 
and  Lombardy’s  rate  is  60.8 %  (these  are  average  rates, 
but  the  separate  collection  rates  are  much  higher  in 
some  parts  of  these  regions).  Only  4.7 %  of  Emilia-
Romagna’s  municipal  waste  is  landfilled,  and  0.64 %  of 
Lombardy’s  municipal  waste  is  landfilled.  Both  these 
regions are therefore well positioned to meet the new EU 
waste  targets.  These  targets  state  that  at  least  55 %  of 
municipal  waste  should  be  recycled  by  2025,  rising  to 
60%  by  2030  and  65 %  by  2035.  For  landfill,  the  new 
target is for only 10 % of municipal waste to be landfilled 
by  203552.  It  should  be  noted  that  landfill  taxes  vary 
between  regions.  Several  Italian  regions  have  already 
embedded  a  holistic  circular  economy  approach  into 
their regional waste planning.  

Public services have been made less complex by reducing 
the  number  of  waste  disposal  areas  or  ATOs  (Ambiti 
Territoriali Ottimali di Smaltimento) in some regions. The 
annual budget law 2018 provides a credit for businesses 
of 36 % for purchasing recycled plastic. 

Ex-ante  conditionality  has  been  applied  to  the  ERDF 
2014-20  to  ensure  that  regions 
in  need  of  waste-
management infrastructure (the southern regions) have a 
waste  management  plan  in  conformity  with  EU  law. 
Whilst  most  eligible  regions  have  now  fulfilled  this  ex-
ante conditionality, this is still not the case for Sicily.  

is  being  used 

In addition, the European Fund for Strategic Investments 
improve  environmental 
to 
(EFSI) 
infrastructure  for  waste53.  ERDF  investments  in  2014-
2020 for waste projects are only aimed at activities at the 
top  of  the  ‘waste  hierarchy’.  They  therefore  exclude 
funding for landfill and incineration. 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR  decree  were  passed  in 
2016  for  incineration  and  for  measures  to  create  an 
integrated  system  for  organic  municipal  waste54.  A  new 
decree on re-use centres is being planned. A pilot project 
on deposit schemes is also being planned. 

Rates  of  separate  collection  and  recycling  of  municipal 
waste  are  constantly  growing  across  Italy,  as  shown  in 
Figure 7 55. 

In the province of Treviso, one example of best practice is 
the integrated waste-management system, which begins 
with kerbside waste collection (separated recycling waste 
—  including  organic  waste  —  and  a  pay-as-you-throw 
scheme  for  residual  waste).  These  measures  alone 
increased  the  recycling  rate  to  over  85 %  in  2013  and 
residual waste per person of 53 kg/year56. 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  Italy  applies  extended 
producer  responsibility 
for  packaging  waste 
(EPR) 
through  CONAI,  the  national  organisation  for  packaging 
makers.  
Figure 7: Regional separate collection rates 57 

On  waste  prevention,  Italy  adopted  the  national  waste 
prevention  programme  in  2013.  On  the  basis  of  this 
regional 
programme,  each 

region  has  adopted 

49 ISPRA Rapporto Rifiuti Urbani Edizione 2015, pp.61-62. 
50 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 23.11.2018 
51 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste. 
52 CINSEDO, EIR waste seminar 2018. 

53 EFSI — Aimag Settore Idrico e Ambiente. 
54 Decree DPCM, 10.08.2016 & Decree DCPM 7.3.2016. 
55 ISPRA Rapporto Rifiuti Urbani Edizione 2017, p. 39. 
56 Zerowaste Europe, The story of Contarina, 2015 
57 ISPRA Rapporto Rifiuti Urbani Edizione 2017, p. 39. 

9 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

prevention  plans  that  promote  greater  use  of  green 
public  procurement  and  recycling.  The  government  has 
indicated 
country’s  waste  prevention 
programme might be revised to align it more closely with 
circular economy considerations58. 

that 

the 

2019 priority actions 

 

Introduce  new  policy  and  economic  instruments  to: 
(i)  promote  waste  prevention,  (ii)  make  product  re-
use  and  waste 
recycling  more  economically 
attractive  and  (iii)  shift  re-usable  and  recyclable 
waste away from landfilling.  

  Harmonise regional landfill tax rates. 
 
recycling 

rates  by 

the 

focusing  on 

Increase 
effectiveness of the separate collection obligation. 
Improve  the  functioning  of  Extended  Producer 
Responsibility  Systems,  in  line  with  the  general 
minimum requirements on EPR. 
Close and rehabilitate the non-compliant  landfills  as 
a matter of priority. 

 

 

Climate change 

The EU has committed to undertaking ambitious climate 
action internationally as well as in the EU, having ratified 
the Paris Climate Agreement on 5 October 2016. The EU 
targets are to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 
20 % by 2020 and by at least 40 % by 2030, compared to 
1990.  As  a  long-term  target,  the  EU  aims  to  reduce  its 
emissions  by  80-95 %  by  2050,  as  part  of  the  efforts 
required by developed countries as a group. Adapting to 
the adverse effects of climate change is vital to alleviate 
its  already  visible  effects  and  improve  preparedness  for 
and resilience to future impacts. 

The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) covers all large 
greenhouse  gas  emitters  in  the  industry,  power  and 
aviation  sectors  in  the  EU.  The  EU  ETS  applies  in  all 
Member States and has a very high compliance rate. Each 
year,  installations  cover  around  99  %  of  their  emissions 
with the required number of allowances. 

For emissions not covered by the EU ETS, Member States 
have  binding  national  targets  under  the  effort  sharing 
legislation.  Italy’s  greenhouse  gas  emissions  were  below 
its annual emission allocations (AEAs) in each of the years 
2013-2017, as shown in Figure 9. 

For  2020,  Italy’s  national  target  under  the  EU  Effort 
Sharing  Decision 
is  to  reduce  emissions  by  13 % 
compared to 2005. For 2030, Italy’s national target under 
the Effort Sharing Regulation will be to reduce emissions 
by 33 % compared to 2005. See Figure 9. 

58 Ministry of Environment, Speech of Minister Costa, 5.7.2018. 

The  national  energy  strategy  from  November  2017 
notably  foresees  a  28%  renewables  target  for  in  final 
energy consumption and 30% target in energy savings by 
2030  as  well  as  the  doubling  of  R&D  investments  in  in 
clean-energy technologies to € 444 million in 2021. Those 
objectives  are  however  being  currently  revised  by  the 
new government, also in light of the new EU energy and 
climate targets for 2030.  The Italian National Energy and 
Climate Plan (NECP), to be finalized by the end of 2019, is 
expected to further strengthen and detail national policy 
measures  to  meet  the  EU’s  2030  targets  for  energy  and 
climate59. 
low-carbon  development 
strategy  in  2013  as  part  of  the  previous  national  energy 
strategy. This low-carbon development strategy outlined 
various ways to support the progressive decarbonisation 
of  the  economy,  and  meet  the  target  of  reducing 
greenhouse  gas  emissions  by  between  80  %  and  95 % 
from  1990  levels  by  2050.  A  new  National  Long  Term 
Strategy  will,  however,  have  to  be  prepared  by  January 
2020,  in  the  context  of  the  finalisation  of  the  Italian 
NECP. 

Italy  adopted  a 

Figure  8:  Change  in  total  greenhouse  gas  emissions 
1990-2017 (1990=100 %) 60 

Transport  represents  almost  a  quarter  of  the  EU’s  GHG 
emissions and is the main cause of air pollution in cities. 
Greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  transport 
Italy 
increased by 1 % from 2013-2016 as shown in Figure 10. 

in 

59 Ministry of Economic Development, National Energy Strategy, 2017. 
60 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 (EEA 
greenhouse gas data viewer). Proxy GHG emission estimates for 
2017Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European 
Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by 
the European Environment Agency. 

10 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Figure 9: Targets and emissions for Italy under the Effort 
Sharing Decision and Effort Sharing Regulation 61 

The  Regulation  on  fluorinated  greenhouse  gases  (F-gas) 
requires Member States to run training and certification 
programmes,  introduce  rules  for  penalties  and  notify 
these  measures  to  the  Commission  by  2017.  By  10 
January 2019, Italy has not notified neither such training 
programmes,  nor  rules  on  penalties,  but  has  signalled 
that this will happen soon. 

The  accounting  of  GHG  emissions  and  removals  from 
forests and agriculture is governed by the Kyoto Protocol. 
A  preliminary  accounting  exercise  shows  net  credits  of, 
on  average,  -13.7  Mt  CO2-eq,  which  corresponds  to 
11.8% of the EU-28 accounted sink of -115.7 Mt CO2-eq62.  

The  EU  Strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  change, 
adopted  in  2013,  aims  to  make  Europe  more  climate-
resilient, by promoting action by Member States, better-
informed  decision  making,  and  promoting  adaptation  in 
key vulnerable sectors. By adopting a coherent approach 
and  providing  for  improved  coordination,  it  seeks  to 
enhance the preparedness and capacity of all governance 
levels to respond to the impacts of climate change.  

The  Italian  National  Adaptation  Strategy  to  Climate 
Change  (NAS)  was  adopted  on  June  2015  with  a 
Directorial  Decree  of  the  Environment  Ministry.  A 
is  currently  under 
National  Adaptation  Plan  (NAP) 
development  through  a  consultative  process.  The  NAP 
elaboration  stared 
is 
in  2016  and 
tentatively planned for the first half of 2019. The NAP will 
local 
provide 
authorities,  for  the  integration  of  adaptation  measures 

institutional  support  to  national  and 

its  finalization 

within spatial and sectorial planning. The NAP comprises: 
a  context  analysis  on  current  and  future  climate 
variability;  an  evaluation  of  impacts  and  vulnerability  of 
the main sectors identified; a risk assessment; adaptation 
actions  at  national  level;  tools  for  institutional  and 
stakeholders  participation  and 
for  monitoring  and 
evaluation of adaptation actions.  

In  order  to  provide  access  to  climate  change  adaptation 
relevant 
information,  data  and  documents  and  to 
support  local  decision  making,  a  national  platform  is 
currently  under  preparation,  using  Climate-ADAPT  as 
model. 

In  the  framework  of  CReIAMO  PA  Project  "Skills  and 
Networks  for  Environmental  Integration  and  for  the 
Improvement of Public Administration Organizations", in 
2018  the  Environment  Ministry  started  the  activities  on 
“Strengthening of administrative capacity for adaptation 
to climate change”, with the aim to support regions and 
municipalities  with  guidelines 
local 
climate  change  adaptation  strategies  or  plans  and  for 
training administrators on climate changes adaptation. 

for  developing 

Figure 10: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector (Mt. CO2-
eq.). Historical data 1990-2015. Projections 2016-2030 63 

As  of  May  2018,  more 
than  4 000  cities  and 
municipalities in Italy have committed to the Covenant of 
Mayors, a grouping of cities that seek to promote energy 
efficiency and use more renewable energy. 220 of these 
cities have committed to adaptation planning and actions 
as part of the Covenant of Mayors. The city of Bologna is 
one of the cities that have completed a local adaptation 
strategy64 as part of this commitment. 

61 Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2017Approximated EU greenhouse 
gas inventory 2017 (European Environment Agency). Member States 
national projections, reviewed by the European Environment Agency. 

62 COM (2018) 716 final and SWD (2018) 453 final.  

63 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 (EEA 
greenhouse gas data viewer). Proxy GHG emission estimates for 
2017Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European 
Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by 
the European Environment Agency. 
64 European Commission, EGCA 2019 Good Practice Factsheets 

11 

 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

The  total  revenues  from  the  auctioning  of  emission 
allowances under the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) 
over  the  years  2013-2017  were  EUR 2  341million.  Italy 
has  not  yet  used  the  revenues  generated  from  the 
auctioning of allowances in the year 2016. However, such 
revenues have already been committed according to the 
principles  enlisted  in  ETS  Directive,  article  10.  Indeed, 
according to Legislative Decree 30/2013, article19 (3), the 
revenues  generated  from  the  auctions  are  allocated  on 
yearly basis, through specific decrees of the Ministry for 
the  Environment  Land  and  Sea  co-signed  by  Ministry  of 
Economic  Development  and  Ministry  of  Finance.  These 
decrees  can  only  be  issued  in  the  year  n+1,  after  the 
conclusion  of  the  auctions  for  the  year  n  and  the 
verification of  coherence between auctioned allowances 
and  revenues  generated.  The  Ministerial  decrees  that 
redistribute  2016  revenues  are  currently  being  finalized 
National  legislation  stipulates  that  50 %  of  the  revenues 
should be used for climate-related purposes.  

Beyond  climate  change,  energy-policy  choices  can  have 
significant  environmental  impacts  as  well  as  bring  some 
acceptability  issues.  For  instance,  the  2016  referendum 
on oil and natural gas drilling was for  several months at 
the  centre  of  the  Italian  political  debate.  Similarly, 
projects  like  the  trans-Adriatic  pipeline  have  generated 
media interest and local protests in Apulia, with residents 
opposing the project.  

2019 priority action 

In this report, no priority actions have been included on 
climate action, as the Commission will first need to assess 
the  draft  national  energy  and  climate  plans  which  the 
Member  States  needed  to  send  by  end  of  2018.  These 
plans  should  increase  the  consistency  between  energy 
and climate policies and could therefore become a good 
example  of  how  to  link  sector-specific  policies  on  other 
interlinked themes  such as agriculture-nature-water and 
transport-air-health.  

12 

 
 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Nature and biodiversity 

in  the  EU  by  2020. 

The  EU  biodiversity  strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
full 
biodiversity 
implementation  of  the  Birds  and  Habitats  Directives  to 
achieve  favourable  conservation  status  of  protected 
species and habitats. It also requires that the agricultural 
improve 
and  forest  sectors  help  to  maintain  and 
biodiversity. 

It  requires 

The Commission held a two-day dialogue with the Italian 
government  on  12-13  February  2018  to  discuss  natural 
capital and biodiversity. The dialogue was part of the EU's 
action  plan  for  nature,  people  and  the  economy65.  The 
dialogue  was  a  chance  to  discuss  all  the  main 
implementation  problems  related  to  the  Habitats  and 
Birds  Directive  in  Italy  and  to  agree  on  appropriate 
follow-up (road map).  

Biodiversity strategy 

The  national  biodiversity  strategy  (‘Strategia  Nazionale 
per  la  Biodiversità’)66  was  adopted  in  2011.  Italy  now 
plans to update this strategy, reflecting the commitments 
include  a 
agreed  to  in  the  nature  dialogue  (these 
commitment  to  draw  up  national  strategic  conservation 
objectives  that  would  help  Italy  achieve  favourable 
conservation status for its habitats and species). 

Setting up a coherent network of Natura 2000 sites 

In  Italy,  2 613  sites  have  been  designated  under  the 
Habitats and Birds Directives. By the end of 2017, 19 % of 
the  country’s  national  land  area  was  covered  by  Natura 
2000  (the  EU  average  was  18.1 %).  By  the  end  of  2017, 
Italy’s  marine  Natura  2000  designations  covered 
6 859 km².  Italy  has  still  not  designated  enough  of  its 
marine  area  for  the  relevant  habitat  types  and  species 
covered  by  the  nature  directives.  To  remedy  this,  Italy 
has  committed  to  identify  and  designate  the  necessary 
sites  by  the  end  of  201967.This  will  include  special 
protection areas for marine birds. 

Designating Natura 2000 sites and setting conservation 
objectives and measures 

last  two  years,  Italy  has  made  progress 

In  the 
in 
designating  special  areas  of  conservation  (SACs)  and 
drawing up conservation measures for the sites. In spite 
of  this  progress,  Italy  has  still  exceeded  the  six-year 
deadline  for  designating  these  areas  set  out  by  the 
Habitats  Directive.  As  of  December  2018,  1927  of  2 335 
Sites  of  Community  Interest  (SCIs)  had  been  designated 
the 
as  SACs. 
appropriate conservation objectives and measures for all 
SACs by the end of 2019.  Some recent progress was the 
designation  of  96  SACs  in  Veneto  in  July  201868  and  the 
designation  of  a  total  of  92  SACs  in  Basilicata,  Puglia, 
Molise and Abruzzo in December 201869. 

Italian  authorities  plan 

finalise 

to 

species  protection. 

the  Habitats  Directive,  and 

The  Commission  receives  many  complaints  about  Italy's 
implementation  of 
the  Nature  Directives.  These 
complaints  concern  the  degradation  of  designated  sites; 
the poor quality of appropriate assessments under Article 
insufficient 
6(3)  of 
enforcement  of 
This  poor 
implementation of the Nature Directives damages nature 
but  it  also  affects  business  and  legal  certainty.  Italian 
authorities,  in  consultation  with  the  Commission,  have 
drafted  new  national  guidelines  for  the  implementation 
of  provisions  in  Article 6(3)  and  6(4)  of  the  Habitats 
Directive.  These  new  guidelines  are  meant  to  improve, 
clarify, harmonise and streamline the implementation of 
the site impact assessments across all Italian regions.  

65 European Commission, SWD (2017)139 final, 27.4.2017, Action 5, 
p. 12. 
66 Italian National Biodiversity Strategy. 
67 For each Member State, the Commission assesses whether the 
species and habitat types on Annexes I and II of the Habitats Directive 
are sufficiently represented by the sites designated to date. This is 
expressed as a percentage of species and habitats for which further 
areas need to be designated in order to complete the network in that 
country. 

Moreover,  the  previously  cited  CReIAMO  PA  project  is 
aimed  at  strengthening  the  administrative  capacity  on 
procedure  according  the  article  6(3)  of  the  Habitats 
Directive. 

68 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 30.07.2018 
69 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 28.12.2018.  

13 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

restoring 
in  maintaining  or 
Progress 
conservation status of species and habitats 

favourable 

public awareness.  

Considering that Member States report every 6 years on 
the  progress  made  under  both  directives,  no  new 
information  is  available  on  the  state  of  natural  habitats 
and species, nor on progress made in terms of improving 
the conservation status of species and habitats in Italy, as 
compared to the 2017 EIR. 

Italy acknowledges that the lack of appropriate resources 
for  land  management  and  conservation  measures  is  a 
major  obstacle  to  it  achieving  the  objectives  of  the 
Nature Directives. This obstacle could be partly removed 
by  administrative  capacity-building  and  more  effective 
mainstreaming  of  nature-conservation  measures  and 
objectives  in  other  sectoral  policies,  at  regional  and 
national level. In the 2007-2013 period, funding from the 
ERDF  and  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural 
(EAFRD)70 
Development 
nature-conservation 
measures was particularly low (see Section 4).  

for 

At regional level the Prioritized Action Frameworks (PAF) 
play  a  strategic  role  to  ensure  effective  integration  and 
adequate  resources  planning  to  finance  Natura  2000 
conservation measures. 

regional  network,  a 

A  LIFE  Integrated  Project  (GESTIRE  2020)  is  currently 
under  way  which  will  create  an  integrated  management 
structure  for  achieving  conservation  objectives  for  the 
real 
Lombardy  Natura  2000 
implementation of the PAF that will be disseminated also 
to  other  regions.  The  project  aims  to  update  the 
Lombardy  prioritised  action  framework  in  the  following 
ways:  coordinating  management;  integrating  regional 
policies; training personnel; raising public awareness; and 
planning  measures  to  conserve  biodiversity,  such  as 
enhancing  connectivity  and  tackling 
invasive  alien 
species71.  For  the  next  financial  period  2021-2027,  the 
Ministry  for  Environment  is  putting  in  place  actions  for 
improving preparation and use of the new PAFs. 

In 2018 the Ministry of Environment activated under the 
budget  of  the  ERDF  National  Operational  Programme 
(PON)  Governance  the  project  ‘Mettiamoci  in  RIGA’  72 
aimed  to  support  the  administrative  governance  of  the 
Natura2000 sites.A national action plan against the illegal 
trapping,  killing  and  trade  of  wild  birds  was  adopted  by 
Italy 
implementation  started 
Its 
immediately  with  high  engagement  of  administrations 
and  stakeholders,  working  to  increasing  controls  and 
identified  blackspots, 
enforcement  mainly  on 
propose legal improvements, increase of knowledge and 

in  March  2017. 

the 

70 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. 
71 GESTIRE 2020 LIFE integrated project. 
72 Ministry of Environment, Mettiamoci in RIGA (putting ourselves in 
line) 

On the hunting of bird species with declining populations 
or  unfavourable  status,  Italy  has  been  working  to  draft 
management plans for a number of such species (such as 
the  skylark,  rock  partridge,  grey  partridge,  turtle  dove, 
black  grouse,  Barbary  partridge  and 
red-legged 
improve  the  collection  of 
partridge).  Measures  to 
the 
the  assessment  of 
‘hunting-bag’  data  and 
sustainability of hunting are also ongoing. 

There are persistent data gaps in the forestry sector. Italy 
has  not  reported  data  on  annual  wood  removals  to  the 
joint forest sector questionnaire (an international survey 
of  forestry  in  which  Eurostat  participates)  for  several 
years.  This  makes  it  difficult  to  ascertain  whether  forest 
harvesting rates are sustainable. There is no information 
on the share of forest area that is being managed under a 
management plan or equivalent (no figures for the 2010 
reporting  period).  The  new  Directorate  General  for 
Forests of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry 
Policies,  established  in  2017,  is  working,  together  with 
the  Italian  statistical  office  (ISTAT),  for  the  new  data 
collection system, which should start again in 2019. 

2019 priority actions 

 

Finalisation of SCI and Special Protection Areas (SPA) 
designations  for  marine  areas.  Finalisation  of  SAC 
designations  and  of  sites’  conservation  objectives 
and measures.  
  Adoption  and 
implementation  of  new  national 
guidelines  to 
implement  assessment  procedures 
under Article 6(3) and 6(4) of the Habitats Directive. 
their 
Build 
implementation.  
Provide  adequate  resources  and  build  capacity  of 
competent  authorities  (at  regional  and  site  level)  to 
fully  implement  site  conservation  measures  and 
species action plans. 
Full  implementation  of  the  national  action  plan 
against illegal trapping, killing and trade of wild birds. 

administrative 

capacity 

for 

 

 

Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and 
their services 

The EU biodiversity strategy aims to maintain and restore 
ecosystems  and  their  services  by 
including  green 
infrastructure  in  spatial  planning  and  restoring  at  least 
15 %  of  degraded  ecosystems  by  2020.  The  EU  green 
infrastructure  strategy  promotes  the  incorporation  of 
green infrastructure into related plans and programmes. 

In Italy, the 2013 law on the development of green urban 
areas  aims  to  promote  green  areas  for  providing 
ecosystem services (air quality, reduction of hydrological 
risks, soil protection and culture). The law identifies a set 
of measures to accomplish this. These measures include 

14 

                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

green  urban  planning  and  monitoring;  support  to  local-
level  initiatives.  As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  the 2014 
Charter  of  Rome  on  Natural  and  Cultural  Capital73 
highlights the importance of green infrastructure for the 
green  economy  and  for  its  natural,  cultural,  social  and 
economic  benefits. In  February  2017,  the  Italian  Natural 
Capital Committee published the first report on the state 
of  natural  capital  in  Italy.  This  first  report  collected 
information on the conservation status of water, soil, air, 
biodiversity  and  ecosystems.  It  also  contained  a  map  of 
ecosystems  and  an  assessment  of  their  conservation 
status to serve as the first step in identifying restoration 
priorities  to  restore,  maintain  and  improve  ecosystem 
services. 

Ecological  network  policies  are  being  developed  at 
regional  level  (e.g.  Lombardy)  and  municipal  level  (e.g. 
Rome)  which  regulate  spatial  planning  at  various 
degrees.  On  agricultural  policies,  green  infrastructure  is 
mentioned  in  several  EAFRD  regional  programmes  and 
related  measures74.  The  2014-2020  ERDF  and  EAFRD 
regional  programmes  contain  measures  to  invest  in 
nature-based  solutions  for  flood-risk  management.  The 
ERDF  is  also  providing  EUR 13.4  million  for  a  green 
infrastructure project in Basilicata75. Various Italian cities 
in  Horizon  2020  projects.  For  example, 
participate 
Mantova is part of the URBAN GreenUP76 project, which 
aims  to  support  the  co-development  of  ‘renaturing’ 
urban  plans.  These  plans  focus  on  climate-change 
mitigation  and  adaptation;  efficient  water  management; 
and the implementation of nature-based solutions. 

cereals  in  the  Alps  to  improve  biodiversity  and  healthy 
eating77. 

The EU has provided guidance on the further deployment 
of  green  and  blue  infrastructure  in  Italy78  and  a  country 
page  on  the  Biodiversity  Information  System  for  Europe 
(BISE)79. This information will also contribute to the final 
evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. 

in  conjunction  with 

By  the  end  of  2018  Italy  was  to  deliver  the  Report  on 
‘resource  mobilisation’ 
its  sixth 
national report of the Convention on Biological Diversity 
(CBD) implementation. Reporting to the CBD on financial 
flows is important, as it clarifies the financial positions of 
the EU and the Member States in the CBD. This reporting 
also helps to support good practice in other countries. 

Estimating natural capital 

The  EU  biodiversity  strategy  calls  on  Member  States  to 
map  and  assess  the  state  of  ecosystems  and  their 
services80 in their national territories by 2014, assess the 
economic  value  of  such  services  and  integrate  these 
values  into  accounting  and  reporting  systems  at  EU  and 
national level by 2020. 

recently 

resulted 

completed 

its 
in  a  map  of 

Italy  started  assessing  its  national  ecosystems  in  2014. 
‘biophysical 
The 
country 
evaluation’,  which 
Italy’s 
ecosystems.  Italy  is  currently  conducting  an  assessment 
of its ecosystem services. The second report on the state 
of  natural  capital  in  Italy81  was  published  in  February 
2018. It contained significantly more detailed information 
on natural capital and ecosystem services. 

In  particular,  the  biophysical  evaluation  of  terrestrial 
ecosystems  at  the  regional  and  regional  level  has  been 
improved,  also  with  an  updates  of  the  state  of 
conservation  of  some  of  them.  Moreover,  the  focus  on 
biophysical values of natural capital stocks in the marine 
ecoregions  emphasized 
results  of  an 
the 
experimental  project  of  an  environmental  accounting 
system for Italian marine protected areas. 

first 

Concerning  the  pressures  on  natural  capital,  habitat 
fragmentation  and  land  use  of  natural  and  semi-natural 
ecosystems  are  analysed  at  national  and  eco-regional 
in  conservation  and 
scale,  as  primary  concerns 
functionality  of  ecosystems.  Attention  is  devoted  to  the 

77 ilnordestquotidiano.it 
78 The recommendations of the green infrastructure strategy review 
report and the EU Guidance on a strategic framework for further 
supporting the deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure. 
79 BISE page for Italy  
80 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food, 
clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 
81 Italian Natural Capital Committee, 2nd Report on the state of natural 
capital in Italy, 2017. 

Another  project  that  promotes  biodiversity  is  the  Re-
Cereal  project,  which  is  a  RegioStars  2018  finalist  co-
financed by the ERDF under the Austria-Italy cooperation 
programme.  Re-Cereal  aims  to  reintroduce  gluten-free 

73 Charter of Rome. 
74 Rete Rurale Nazionale 2014. 
75 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report (citizens report), Basilicata, 
p. 6. 
76 EU Horizon 2020 project, URBAN GreenUP. 

15 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

impact  of  climate  change  on  the  forest  ecosystems  and 
to forest fires and drought. 

Invasive alien species 

The  Report  also  included  an  exercise  to  determine  an 
framework  on  biophysical  assessment  and 
initial 
economic  accounting  for  some  ecosystem  services  in 
Italy:  crop  pollination,  recreational  services,  and  water 
purification,  carbon  sequestration.  Moreover,  attention 
was been dedicated to ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of 
the impact of public policies on the natural capital. 

The  report  proposes  recommendations  and  policy 
interventions  for  the  short  and  medium  term.  The  third 
report was expected in February 2019, after the drafting 
of this report. 

In  September  2018,  at  the  Mapping  and  Assessment  of 
Ecosystems  and  their  Services  (MAES)  working  group 
meeting  held  in  Brussels,  Italy  presented  an  assessment 
showing  that  it  had  made  some  progress  since  January 
2016  in  its  implementation  of  MAES  suggestions  (Figure 
11). The assessment was part of the ESMERALDA project, 
which  is  co-financed  by  Horizon  202082.  The  assessment 
is  based  on  27  implementation  questions  and  updated 
every six months. 

Figure 11: Implementation of MAES (September 2018) 

Under  the  EU  biodiversity  strategy,  the  following  are  to 
be achieved by 2020:  
(i) invasive alien species identified;  
(ii) priority species controlled or eradicated; and  
(iii)  pathways  managed  to  prevent  new  invasive  species 
from disrupting European biodiversity.  
the 
This 
Regulation, which entered into force on 1 January 2015. 

Invasive  Alien  Species 

is  supported  by 

The  report  on  the  baseline  distribution  of  invasive  alien 
species  (IAS)  (Figure  12),  for  which  Italy  has  thoroughly 
reviewed its data, gives an overview of IAS in the EU. This 
report  shows  that,  out  of  the  37  species  on  the  first 
Union list of alien species, 24 have already been observed 
in Italy. The most widely observed of these species is the 
coypu (Myocastor coypus). Italy is also the only Member 
State  with  an  invasion  of  the  kudzu  vine  (Pueraria 
lobata). 

Figure  12:  Number  of  IAS  of  EU  concern,  based  on 
available georeferenced information for Italy 84 

long 

launched,  the 

Although  the  EU  ‘business  and  biodiversity’  platform83 
has  not  yet 
initiative 
‘Ecomondo’ provides a good example of involving private 
sector 
is  an  annual 
international event with an innovative format that brings 
together  all  sectors  of  the  circular  economy  in  a  single 
platform. 

in  green  business.  Ecomondo 

lasting 

Between the entry into force of the  Union list on 14 July 
2017  and  18 May  2018,  Italy  has  not  notified  any  new 
appearances  of 
IAS  of  EU  concern,  according  to 
Article 16(2) of the IAS Regulation. Italy is one of the few 
Member States with a local population of Pallas’s squirrel 
(Callosciurus erythraeus), which may still be eradicated. 

Italy has launched a LIFE project called the ‘alien species 
(ASAP)85.  The  project  will 
awareness  programme’ 

82 EU project, ESMERALDA. 
83 The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign aims to promote 
the business case for biodiversity in the EU Member States through 
workshops, seminars and across the media. 

84 Tsiamis K; Gervasini E; Deriu I; D’amico F; Nunes A; Addamo A; De 
Jesus Cardoso A. Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union 
concern. Ispra (Italy): Publications Office of the European Union; 2017, 
EUR 28596 EN, doi:10.2760/772692. 
85 European Commission, LIFE ASAP. 

16 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

the 
increase  public  awareness,  and  reduce  both 
intentional  and  unintentional  spread  of  IAS  (with  a 
particular  focus  on  the  sale  of  pets  and  ornamental 
plants). 

Italy ranks higher than the EU average as regards artificial 
land  coverage  with  around  7  %  of  artificial  land  (EU-28 
average:  4.1 %).  The  population  density  is  205.86  km2, 
which is also above the EU average of 11890. 

responsible 

implementing 

Italy  has  notified  the  Commission  of  its  competent 
IAS 
authorities 
the 
for 
Regulation  as  required  by  Article 24(2)  of  the 
IAS 
Regulation.  The  national  act86  providing  a  detailed 
framework of the roles and responsibilities in the Italian 
system  and 
the  relevant  provisions  on  penalties 
applicable to infringements as required by Article 30(4) of 
the IAS Regulation entered into force in February 2018. 

linked  to  water-quality 

The main threats to soil in Italy are soil sealing, land take 
and diffuse pollution to the soil. Diffuse pollution to soil is 
closely 
issues  (in  particular 
nitrates in the Po  valley). Some parts of the  country are 
also prone to landslides and flooding, both of which can 
damage  soil.  Isolated  industrial  locations  are  suffering 
from soil contamination.  
Figure 13: Proportion of artificial land cover, 2015 91 

Raising  the  awareness  of  the  public  may  help  in  dealing 
with  this  issue.  A  worrying  trend  is  that  a  2018  opinion 
poll  shows  that  70 %  of  people  in  Lombardy  have  never 
heard  of  the  problem  of  invasive  alien  species87.  The 
Ministry  of  Environment  and 
for 
Environmental  Protection  and  Research  (ISPRA)  have 
carried  out  several communication campaigns, and have 
implemented one dedicated  website aimed at informing 
the public on the different aspects of invasive species88 . 

Institute 

Italian 

Soil protection 

The  EU  soil  thematic  strategy  underlines  the  need  to 
ensure a  sustainable use of soils.  This  entails preventing 
further  soil  degradation  and  preserving  its  functions,  as 
well as restoring degraded soils. The 2011 Roadmap to a 
Resource Efficient Europe states that by 2020, EU policies 
must  take  into  account  their  direct  and  indirect  impact 
on land use. 

is  a  finite  and  extremely  fragile  resource  and 

Soil 
increasingly degrading in the EU. 
The percentage of artificial land89 in Italy (Figure 13) can 
be seen as a measure of the relative pressure on nature 
and  biodiversity,  as  well  as  the  environmental  pressure 
on people living in urbanised areas. A similar measure is 
population density. When the share in both is high, it can 
be expected that the challenges to protect natural capital 
and  to  ensure  well-being  of  people  are  also  high,  and 
adequate  implementation  of  the  relevant  EU  policy  and 
law is a priority. 

86 D.Lgs. 230/2017 
87 Carabinieri Forestali: gli italiani non conoscono la biodiversità. 
88 Invasive Species Italy  
89 Artifical land cover is defined as the total of roofed built-up areas 
(including buildings and greenhouses), artificial non built-up areas 
(including sealed area features, such as yards, farmyards, cemeteries, 
car parking areas etc. and linear features, such as streets, roads, 
railways, runways, bridges) and other artificial areas (including bridges 
and viaducts, mobile homes, solar panels, power plants, electrical 
substations, pipelines, water sewage plants, and open dump sites). 

Contamination  can  severely  reduce  soil  quality  and 
threaten  human  health  or  the  environment.  A  recent 
report  of  the  European  Commission92  estimated  that 
potentially  polluting  activities  have  taken  or  are  still 
taking place on approximately 2.8 million sites in the EU. 
At EU level,  650 000 of these sites have been registered 
in national or regional inventories. 65 500  contaminated 
sites  already  have  been  remediated.  Italy  has  registered 
22 100  sites  where  potentially  polluting  activities  have 

90 Eurostat, Population density by NUTS 3 region. 
91 Eurostat, Land covered by artificial surfaces by NUTS 2 regions.  
92 Ana Paya Perez, Natalia Rodriguez Eugenio (2018), Status of local soil 
contamination in Europe: Revision of the indicator “Progress in the 
management Contaminated Sites in Europe” 

17 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

taken or are taking place, and already has remediated or 
applied aftercare measures on 2 904 sites. 

Italian measures were sufficient for the country to reach 
good environmental status (GES)95. 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  many  soil  protection 
measures  in  Italy  are  included  in  policies  that  are  not 
directly connected to the protection of soil. In 2016, the 
Italian  parliament  discussed  a  decree-law  on  containing 
the loss of land and re-using soil that has been built on. 
Ratifying  this  draft  decree-law  is  also  a  priority  for  the 
current  administration.  The  2017  EIR  mentioned  a 
number  of  contaminated  industrial  sites  of  national 
interest  which  require  priority  remediation.  These  sites 
include Piombino and Taranto. 
According  to  the  RUSLE2015  model  93,  Italy  has  an 
average soil loss rate by water of 8.46 tonnes per hectare 
per  year  (t ha−a yr−y)  compared  to  a  European  mean 
average of 2.46  t ha−a yr−y, which indicates soil erosion is 
high on average.  

Soil organic matter plays an important role in the carbon 
cycle and in climate change. Soils are the second largest 
carbon  sink  in  the  world  after  the  oceans.  Italy  has  an 
average concentration of soil organic carbon of 20.9 g/kg 
(across  all  land  cover  types)  compared  to  a  European 
average of 47 g/kg. 

Marine protection 

EU coastal and marine policy and legislation require that 
by  2020  the  impact  of  pressures  on  marine  waters  be 
reduced  to  achieve  or  maintain  good  environmental 
status (GES) and ensure that coastal zones are managed 
sustainably. 

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)94 aims 
to achieve good environmental status of the EU’s marine 
waters  by  2020.  To  that  end,  Member  States  must 
develop  a  marine  strategy  for  their  marine  waters,  and 
cooperate  with  the  EU  countries  that  share  the  same 
marine (sub)region. 

and 

the  Coastal  Region  of 

The  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Marine 
Environment 
the 
Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) greatly helps Italy 
to  achieve  the  goal  of  the  EU’s  Marine  Strategy 
Framework  Directive  (MSFD).  These  marine  strategies 
comprise  different 
to  be  developed  and 
implemented  over  six-year  cycles.  The  latest  step  in  the 
MSFD  required  Member  States  to  set  up  and  report  to 
the  Commission  their  programme  of  measures  by 
31 March  2016.  The  Commission  assessed  whether  the 

steps 

the 

relevant  pressures  on 

Italy’s  programme  of  measures  substantially  addresses 
its  marine 
most  of 
environment.  Italy  also  reports  on  a  wide  range  of 
existing 
legal  acts,  conventions,  action  plans  and 
commitments  that  it  has  made  at  the  EU,  regional, 
subregional  and  national  level  as  relevant  measures  for 
the  MSFD.  In  addition,  Italy  reports  on  ‘new’  measures, 
specifically  designed 
‘new’ 
measures aim to tackle the pressures directly or to tackle 
them  indirectly  by  focusing  on  communication,  training, 
capacity building and research activities. For example, for 
biodiversity  in  the  bird  population,  Italy  reports  on  an 
existing  measure  in  its  action  plan  to  reduce  incidental 
catches  of  seabirds  in  fishing  gear.  This  measure  is 
complemented  by  an  indirect  new  measure  on  training 
and awareness-raising measures for fishermen to reduce 
their by-catch of seabirds. 

for  the  MSFDs.  These 

Italy  reported  its  measures  in  2017.  However,  Italy  has 
not reported whether GES is expected to be achieved by 
2020.  Overall,  the 
Italian  programme  of  measures 
substantially  addresses  the  requirements  of  the  MSFD. 
Italy  has 
is  now 
informed  the  Commission  that 
finalising the update of the environmental assessment of 
its  marine  waters,  good  environmental  status  and 
targets.  These  updates  were  due  to  have  been  sent  to 
the Commission by 15 October 2018. 

it 

Italy  has  signed  in  2016  a  Cooperation  Agreement  with 
UNEP/MAP96  to  develop  and  implement,  also  through 
transnational cooperation, important  actions in the field 
of:  marine  litter,  marine  spatial  planning,  integrated 
coastal  zone  management  and  marine  protected  areas. 
the 
The 
implementation of the Agreement is worth of more than 
EUR 2, 000,000.  

Programme 

of  Works 

triennial 

for 

93 Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., 
Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, C., The new assessment of 
soil loss by water erosion in Europe, (2015) Environmental Science and 
Policy, 54, pp. 438-447. 
94 European Union, Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC 

Seven new coastal areas of Italy have been identified as 

95 COM/2018/562 and SWD(2018) 393. 
96 United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan. 

18 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

at risk of flooding due to sea-level rise caused by climate 
change,  according  to  ENEA,  the  Italian  government’s 
research and development agency97. 

2019 priority actions 

 

 

 

 

Complete 
information  on  measures  to  address 
pressures,  and  on  whether  GES  will  be  achieved  by 
2020. 
Provide more information about measures, establish 
more  measures  that  have  a  direct  impact  on  the 
pressures  and  quantify  the  expected 
level  of 
reduction  of  the  pressure  as  a  result  of  these 
measures. 
Ensure  regional  cooperation  with  Member  States 
sharing  the  same  marine  (sub)region  to  address 
predominant pressures. 
Ensure reporting of the different elements under the 
Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive  by  the  set 
deadline. 

97 ENEA, Press Release, 5.7.2018 

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Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

3. Ensuring citizens’ health and quality of life 

Air quality 

EU clean air  policy and legislation require the significant 
improvement  of  air  quality  in  the  EU,  moving  the  EU 
closer to the quality recommended by the World Health 
Organisation.  Air  pollution  and  its  impacts  on  human 
health,  ecosystems  and  biodiversity  should  be  further 
reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding critical 
loads  and  levels.  This  requires  strengthening  efforts  to 
reach  full  compliance  with  EU  air  quality  legislation  and 
defining strategic targets and actions beyond 2020. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  suite  of  air 
legislation98,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 
standards and objectives for a number of air pollutants. 

down in the new National Emissions Ceilings Directive  101 
for the period 2020 to 2029, and for any year from 2030 
on. 

Air  quality  in  Italy  continues  to  give  cause  for  severe 
concern.  For  the  year  2015,  the  European  Environment 
Agency estimated that about 60 600 premature deaths in 
Italy  were  attributable  to 
fine  particulate  matter 
concentrations102,  3 200  premature  deaths  were 
attributable  to  ozone  concentrations103,  and  20 500 
premature  deaths  were  attributable  to  nitrogen  dioxide 
concentrations104 105. 
Figure 14: PM2.5 and NOx emissions by sector in Italy106 

Emissions  of  several  air  pollutants  have  decreased 
significantly  in  Italy99.  The  emission  reductions  between 
in  the  previous  EIR  Reports, 
1990-2014  mentioned 
continued between 2014-2016 with emissions of sulphur 
oxides  (SOx)  falling  by  11.5 %,  emissions  of  nitrogen 
oxides  (NOx)  by  5.4 %,  and  emissions  of  volatile  organic 
compounds (NMVOCs) by 2.4 %. Meanwhile emissions of 
fine  particulate  matter  (PM2.5)  have  increased  by  3.9% 
and emissions of ammonia (NH3) by 4.3 % between 2014 
and 2016. Nevertheless, the emission levels for all these 
pollutants  are  within  the  currently  applicable  national 
emission ceilings 100 (see also Figure 14 on the total PM2.5 
and NOx emissions per sector). 

Despite  the  emission  reductions  since  1990,  additional 
efforts  are  needed  to  meet  the  emission  reduction 
commitments  (compared  to  2005  emission  levels)  laid 

98 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards 
99 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 
viewer (NEC Directive). 
100The current national emission ceilings have been mandatory since 
2010 (Directive 2001/81/EC); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have 
been set by Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national 
emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 
2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. 

For  2017107,  exceedances  above  the  EU  air  quality 
standards were registered for concentrations of nitrogen 
dioxide (NO2) in 25 air quality zones out of 120 (including 
Torino,  Milano  and  Firenze).  For  particulate  matter 
(PM10),  exceedances  above  the  EU  air  quality  standards 
were  also  registered  in  31  air  quality  zones  (including 
several  locations  in  the  Po  Valley).  In  addition,  13  air 
indicated  exceedances  for  fine 
quality  zones  have 
particulate  matter  (PM2.5,  including  several  locations  in 

101 Directive 2016/2284/EU. 
102 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and 
liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. PM10 
refers to particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less. PM2.5 
refers to particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. PM is 
emitted from many human sources, including combustion. 
103 Low-level ozone is produced by photochemical action on pollution. 
104 NOx is emitted during fuel combustion e.g. from industrial facilities 
and the road transport sector. NOx is a group of gases comprising 
nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). 
105 EEA, Air Quality in Europe – 2018 Report, p. 64. Please see details in 
this report as regards the underpinning methodology..  
106 2016 NECD data submitted by Member States to the EEA. 
107 EIONET Central Data Repository. 

20 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

the  Po  Valley).  Finally,  target  values  for  ozone  (O3)  and 
for benzo(a)pyrene in PM10 were also exceeded. 

See also Figure 15 on the number of air quality zones in 
exceedance for NO2, PM2.5, and PM10. 

Persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  requirements  for  PM10 
and  NO2  have  severe  negative  effects  on  human  health 
and the environment. All such breaches are followed up 
infringement 
by  the  European  Commission  through 
procedures  covering  all  the  Member  States  concerned, 
including Italy. For exceedances of PM10, the Commission 
has  decided 
(see 
COM (2018) 330). The aim in referring Italy to the CJEU is 
to ensure that appropriate measures are put  in place to 
bring all zones into compliance. 

the  CJEU 

refer 

Italy 

to 

to 

Figure  15:  Air  quality  zones  exceeding  EU  air  quality 
standards in 2017108 

According to the European Court of Auditors (ECA)109, EU 
action to protect human health from air pollution has not 
delivered  its  expected  impact.  There  is  a  risk  that  air 
pollution  is  being  underestimated  in  some  instances 
because  it  may  not  always  be  monitored  in  the  right 
places.  Member  States  are  required  to  report  real-time 
air  quality  data  to  the  Commission;  the  ECA  noted  that 
Italy  only  partly  reported  up  to  date  data.  On  the  other 
hand,  Milan  was  one  of  the  cities  examined  and  good 
practices  were  identified  in  terms  of  spatial  maps  used 
for modelling and downloadable data for analysis. 

In  2013  and  2017,  the  Ministry  of  Environment  entered 
into agreements with four Italian regions to reduce smog 
in the Po valley basin110. Similar agreements are planned 
for  other  Italian  regions,  including  Campania,  Lazio, 
Umbria,  Sicily  and  Tuscany111.  An  agreement  was  signed 
for 
in  Rome,  surrounding 
municipalities  and  the  Valle  del  Sacco  in  November 

reducing  air  pollution 

2018112 

Biomass is challenging issue. Like diesel, biomass must be 
managed, and eight actions are now planned to manage 
biomass,  including  agreements  between  local  regions 
and the central government113. 

Italy has created areas with limited access for cars (‘zona 
a  traffico  limitato’)  to  reduce  motor  traffic  and  air 
pollution in historic urban centres. 

Initiatives have been launched to end the use of diesel in 
cities, for example in Piedmont114. 

An example of best practice is the LIFE integrated project 
PREPAIR115,  which  includes  all  regions  in  the  Po  valley 
basin and Slovenia. The project will focus on agriculture, 
biomass, transport, energy efficiency and air quality.  

Environmental  experts  from  Italy  participated  in  TAIEX 
workshops  on  Monitoring  air  pollution 
impacts  on 
ecosystems,  4  –  6  April  2018  in  Lisbon  and  on  the 
effectiveness  of  Air  Quality  Plans,  10  –  11  September 
2018 in Graz.  

2019 priority actions 

 

national 

Take  actions  and  specific  measures  under  the 
forthcoming 
control 
programme  as  well  as  National  Energy  and  Climate 
Plan  to  reduce  emissions  from  the  main  emission 
sources and meet all air quality standards. 

pollution 

air 

  Accelerate  reductions 

in  nitrogen  oxide 

(NOx) 
emissions and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations 
by further reducing transport emissions, in particular 
in urban areas. It may also require proportionate and 
targeted restrictions on vehicle access to urban areas 
and/or fiscal incentives. 

  Accelerate  reductions  in  particulate  matter  (PM2.5 
and PM10) emissions and concentrations by reducing 
emissions  from  energy  production  and  from  heat 
generation  using  solid  fuels.  It  will  also  require  the 
promotion of efficient and clean district heating. 
  Upgrade  and  improve  the  air  quality  monitoring 
network,  and  ensure  timely  reporting  of  air  quality 
data. 

108 EEA, EIONET Central Data Repository. Data reflects the reporting 
situation as of 26 November 2018. 
109 European Court of Auditors, Special report no 23/2018, Air pollution: 
Our health still insufficiently protected, p.41. 
110 Ministry of Environment — Press Release, 9.6.2017. 
111 Ministry of Environment, Speech of Minister Costa, 5.7.2018. 

112 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 15.11.2018. 
113 CINSEDO, EIR air seminar 2018. 
114 Legambiente, Piemonte: Città libere dai diesel entro il 2025. 
115 PREPAIR; CINSEDO, EIR air seminar 2018. 

21 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Industrial emissions 

The  main objectives of EU policy on industrial emissions 
are to: 
(i) protect air, water and soil; 
(ii) prevent and manage waste; 
(iii) improve energy and resource efficiency; and  
(iv) clean up contaminated sites.  
To  achieve  this,  the  EU  takes  an  integrated  approach  to 
the  prevention  and  control  of  routine  and  accidental 
industrial emissions. The cornerstone of the policy is the 
Industrial Emissions Directive116 (IED). 

in  certain  types  of 
Industrial  facilities  that  engage 
activities  regulated  under  the 
Industrial  Emissions 
Directive  (IED)  are  referred  to  as  ‘IED  installations’.  The 
below  overview  of  industrial  activities  regulated  by  the 
IED  is  based  on  the  ‘industrial  emissions  policy  country 
profiles’ project117. 

Figure  16:  Number  of  IED  industrial  installations  by 
sector, Italy (2015)118 

the  surface-treatment  industrial  sector  (12 %  of  IED 
installations)119. This breakdown is shown in Figure 16. 

The  breakdown  of  the  industrial  sectors  that  place  the 
largest  burden  on  the  Italian  environment  through 
emissions to the air is shown in Figure 17. 

The  EU  approach  taken  to  enforcement  under  the  IED 
creates  strong  rights  for  citizens  to  have  access  to 
relevant information and to participate in the permitting 
process.  This  empowers  citizens,  and  NGOs,  to  ensure 
that  permits  are  appropriately  granted  and  their 
conditions respected.  

The  development  of  Best  Available  Techniques  (BAT) 
Reference  Documents  (BREFs)  and  BAT  Conclusions 
through  the  exchange  of  information  involving  Member 
States, Industrial associations, NGOs and the Commission 
ensures  a  good  collaboration  with  stakeholders  and 
enables a better implementation of IED. 

The  Commission  relies  on  and  welcomes  the  efforts  of 
national  competent  authorities  to  implement  the  legally 
binding  BAT  conclusions  and  associated  BAT  emission 
levels in environmental permits, resulting in considerable 
and continuous reduction of pollution.  

Figure 17: Emissions to air from IED sectors and all other 
national air emissions, Italy (2015)120 

In Italy, around 6100 industrial installations are required 
to have a permit based on Cape II the IED. The industrial 
sectors  in  Italy  with  the  most  IED  installations  in  2015 
were those engaged in the intensive rearing of poultry or 
pigs  (30 %  of  total  IED  installations),  followed  by  the 
waste-management sector (21 % of IED installations) and 

116 Directive 2010/75/EU covers industrial activities carried out above 
certain thresholds. It covers energy industry, metal production, mineral 
and chemical industry and waste management, as well as a wide range 
of industrial and agricultural sectors (e.g. intensive rearing of pig and 
poultry, pulp and paper production, painting and cleaning). 
117 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – 
Italy. 
118 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – 
Italy. 

By  way  of  example,  the  implementation  of  the  recently 
adopted  BAT  associated  emission 
levels  for  Large 
Combustion Plants will -on average and depending on the 
situation of individual plants- reduce emissions of sulphur 
dioxide with 25% to 81%, nitrogen oxide with 8% to 56%, 
dust  with  31%  to  78%  and  mercury  with  19%  to  71%  in 
the EU as a whole. 

In  Italy,  environmental  burdens  to  water  are  mostly 
caused  by  the  sectors  of  energy-power,  energy-refining, 

119 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile — 
Italy, 2018. 
120 European Environmental Agency, EPRTR inventories under the 
CLRTAP.  

22 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

chemicals,  metal  production,  waste  management  and 
‘other  activities’.  The  environmental  burdens  from 
hazardous  waste  generation  are  mostly  caused  by  the 
sectors  of  waste  management,  metal  production  and 
chemicals.  And  the  environmental  burdens  from  non-
hazardous  waste  generation  are  mostly  caused  by  the 
waste generation and ‘other activities’ sectors.  

The  Commission  has  in  particular  welcomed  the  good 
cooperation  with  the  administration  to  efficiently  solve 
issues due to late implementation of the BAT conclusion 
prohibiting  the  use  of  the  mercury  cell  technique  by 
chlor-alkali plants by 11/12/2017. 

The  challenge  identified  were  emissions  to  the  air  from 
the ILVA steel mill. 

had  been  carried  out,  should  include  the  measures  to 
keep noise low or reduce it.  The city of Orbassano is an 
example of best practice in noise management. Its efforts 
have  made  it  a  candidate  city  for  the  2017  Green  Leaf 
award,  which  is  given  to  cities  that  have  worked  to 
improve  their  environment.  Orbassano  created  an 
acoustic  zoning  plan,  which  sets  out  noise  limit  values 
during  the  day  and  night  for  six  different  land-use 
areas125. Specific noise strategies were also developed for 
each  part  of  the  municipality.  Such  acoustic  zoning  is  a 
requirement  of  Italian  rather  than  EU  law.  Florence  is 
another  example  of  best  practice  –  it  has  used  LIFE 
funding  to  promote  acoustic  mitigation126.  Rimini  has 
planned  low-noise  roads  in  the  centre  in  its  2018-2023 
Action Plan on Management of Environmental Noise127. 

2019 priority actions 

2019 priority actions 

  Review of permits to comply with new adopted BAT 

 

conclusions. 
Strengthen  control  and  enforcement  to  ensure 
compliance with BAT conclusions. 

  Addressing emissions to air from the ILVA steel mill. 

Noise 
The  Environmental  Noise  Directive  121provides  for  a 
common  approach  to  avoiding,  preventing  and  reducing 
the harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise. 

Excessive noise from aircraft, railways and roads is one of 
the  main  causes  of  environmental  health-related  issues 
in the EU122. 

limited  set  of  data  from  2011123 

indicates  that 
A 
environmental  noise  causes  at 
least  around  1 500 
premature deaths and 6 000 hospital admissions per year 
in Italy124. In addition, noise disturbs the sleep of another 
1 800 000  people.  Implementation  of  the  Environmental 
Noise  Directive  is  delayed  in  Italy  and  an  infringement 
procedure  is  still  open  for  noise  mapping  of  2012  and 
action  plans  of  2013.  In  response  to  that  violation,  Italy 
significantly  advanced  the  strategic  noise  maps  of  2012, 
and  advanced  in  the  adoption  of  action  plans  of  the 
agglomerations,  major  roads,  major  railways  and  major 
airports for 2013. 

These  instruments,  adopted  after  a  public  consultation 

 
 

Complete missing noise action plans for 2013. 
Complete  the  delivery  of  strategic  noise  maps  for 
2017. 

  Deliver action plans for 2019. 

Water quality and management 

EU  legislation  and  policy  requires  that  the  impact  of 
pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh  waters 
(including  surface  and  ground  waters)  be  significantly 
reduced.  Achieving,  maintaining  or  enhancing  a  good 
status  of  water  bodies  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive  will  ensure that EU citizens benefit 
from good quality and safe drinking and bathing water. It 
will  further  ensure  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

The  existing  EU  water  legislation128  puts  in  place  a 
protective  framework  to  ensure  high  standards  for  all 
water  bodies  in  the  EU  and  addresses  specific  pollution 
sources  (for  example,  from  agriculture,  urban  areas  and 
industrial  activities).  It  also  requires  that  the  projected 
impacts  of  climate  change  are 
into  the 
risk 
corresponding  planning 
management  plans  and  river  basin  management  plans, 
including  programme  of  measures  which  include  the 
actions  that  Member  States  plan  to  take  in  order  to 
achieve the environmental objectives. 

instruments  e.g. flood 

integrated 

121 Directive 2002/49/EC. 
122 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, 
Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark. 
123 European Environment Agency, Noise Fact Sheets 2017. 
124 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish, 
every 5 years, noise maps and noise action plans for agglomerations 
with more than 100 000 inhabitants, and for major roads, railways and 
airports. 

125 European Commission, Good Practice Report European Green Leaf 
2017, p. 30. 
126 European Commission, EGCA 2019 Good Practice Factsheets. 
127 Rimini News 
128 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC), the Urban 
Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) (on discharges of 
municipal and some industrial wastewaters), the Drinking Water 
Directive (98/83/EC) (on potable water quality), the Water Framework 
Directive (2000/60/EC) (on water resources management), the Nitrates 
Directive (91/676/EEC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC). 

23 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Water Framework Directive 

Italy has adopted and reported the second generation of 
RBMPs  under  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  the 
European  Commission  has  assessed  the  status  and  the 
development  since  the  adoption  of  the  first  RBMPs, 
including Suggested Actions in the EIR report 2017. 

The  most  significant  pressures  on  surface  water  bodies 
in  Italy  are  diffuse  pollution  from  agricultural  (37%)  and 
urban  waste  water  (20%).  For  groundwater  bodies  the 
most  significant  pressures  are  diffuse  pollution  from 
agriculture  (30%)  and  then  abstraction  or  flow  diversion 
(19%). 

Organic  pollution,  chemical  pollution  and  nutrient 
pollution  have  the  most  significant  impacts  on  surface 
water  bodies  (25-26%).  For  groundwaters,  the  most 
significant impacts are chemical pollution (34%), nutrient 
pollution  (29%),  and  abstraction  exceeding  available 
groundwater resource (26%). 

Figure 18: Ecological status or potential of surface water 
bodies in Italy129 

Ecological  status  has  been  classified  for  the 
large 
majority  of  water  bodies  as  illustrated  in  Figure  18,  in 
contrast  to  the  first  RBMPs,  where  a  very 
large 
proportion of water bodies were unclassified. There was 
an increase in the proportion of surface water bodies at 
good  or  better  ecological  status/potential  from  25%  in 
the first RBMPs to 42% in the second.  

Ecological  status/potential  is  less  than  good  for  65%  of 
lakes, 50% of rivers and 95% of transitional  waters.  This 

129 EEA, WISE dashboard. 

24 

shows that Italy has a long way to go to achieve the good 
status/potential  objectives  set  in  the  Water  Framework 
Directive.  

Between  the  first  and  second  RBMPs  there  was  a  large 
increase  in  the  proportion  of  surface  water  bodies  with 
good chemical status from 18% to 72% and an increase 
in  the  proportion  failing  to  achieve  good  status  from 
4.8% to 8.5%. Importantly, the proportion with unknown 
status  has  reduced  significantly  from  78%  to  20%;  this 
reflects the greater spatial extent of monitoring. 

The  total  number  of  groundwater  bodies  failing  good 
quantitative status increased significantly (by 15%) from 
the  first  to  the  second  RBMPs.  This  increase  is  also 
reflected in terms of groundwater body area failing good 
status.  One  reason  for  this  increase  is  that  information 
from Sicily was not available for the first RBMPs. 

Most  significant  pressures  are  identified  in  the  RBMPs 
and  addressed  by  measures  (key  type  of  measures)  – 
except  for  Sicily  -  but  there  is  no  clear  information 
regarding  scope,  timing  and  funding  of  measures  in  the 
second  RBMPs  and  not  all  measures  from  the  first 
Programme  of  Measure  are  completed 
(notably 
‘governance’  was 
indicated  as  an  obstacle  for  the 
implementation by Italy).  

Drinking Water Directive 

On drinking water, no new data has been available since 
the 2017 EIR130. However, the Commission is aware that 
individual  areas  in  Italy  still  have  problems  with  their 
drinking  water  (such  as  the  arsenic  and  fluoride  in 
drinking water in Lazio). 

Leakage  of  drinking  water  can  also  be  a  problem.  The 
central and southern cities have a higher level of drinking 
water  leakage  than  the  national  average.  The  highest 
losses in 2012 were in Catania (56.9 % leakage rate) and 
Cagliari  (58.5 %  leakage  rate)131.  The  national  leakage 
rate in Italy is 39 %132. A national plan has been drawn up 
to  upgrade  reservoirs  and  aqueducts.  Funding  from  the 
EFSI is being used to improve the water supply in Milan133 
and Ancona134. 

Bathing Water Directive 

Figure 19 shows that in 2017, 89.9 % of the 5 531 Italian 
bathing  waters  were  of  excellent  quality,  5.2 %  were  of 
good quality and 1.9 % were of sufficient quality (90.8 %, 
4.9 %  and  1.5 %  respectively  in  2016).  In  2017,  1.4%  of 

130 Compliance with the Drinking Water Directive microbiological and 
chemical parameters as last reported was very high. 
131 ISTAT UrBes 2015, p. 30. 
132 European Commission-OECD, draft Italian fiche, Assessing member 
states’ investment needs and financing capacities for water supply, 
sanitation and flood protection, 2018. 
133 EFSI, MM water infrastructure upgrade. 
134 EFSI, multiservizi settore idrico Ancona. 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Italian  bathing  waters  were  of  poor  quality135.  Detailed 
information  on  Italian  bathing  waters  is  available  on  a 
national  portal136  and  via  an  interactive  map  viewer 
provided by the European Environment Agency137. 
Figure 19: Bathing water quality 2014–2017138 

was  EUR  3000  million.  Italy  estimated  that  about  3000 
projects on collecting systems and treatment plants must 
be developed to comply with the Directive. 141 

However,  a  recent  study  of  the  OECD142  estimates  even 
greater  investment  needs143  for  both  water  supply  and 
wastewater treatment at the level of approximately EUR 
20,155 million for Italy by 2030144.  

Overall,  according  to  the  latest  data  available,  in  Italy, 
99.2 % of waste water is collected.  

According  to  the  last  Implementation  Report  based  on 
2014  data,  in  Italy  the  waste  water  situation  was  the 
following: 
 

 

for secondary treatment: 11.1 % of the waste 
water load connected to collecting systems was 
not adequately treated, 
for treatment more stringent than secondary: 
12.9 % of the waste water load connected to 
collecting systems (in which this treatment is 
required by the Directive), was not adequately 
treated.145 

In  Italy,  integrated  water  services  (public  water  supply, 
waste-water  treatment  and  sewerage)  are  regulated  by 
independent  authority  called  ARERA146,  which 
an 
approves  the  tariff  methodologies  and  tariff  plans  of 
water utilities. Tariff calculation is based both on ex-post 
reimbursement criteria and on a revenue cap to promote 
efficiency.  The  tariffs  are  drawn  up  in  a  transparent 
fashion.  Where  utilities  comply  with  the  regulatory 
framework, the Water Framework Directive allows them 
to  fully  recover  their  costs  through  the  revenues  they 
legal  and  regulatory  certainty 
make.  This 
attracts commercial investors. Since 2014, there has been 
steady  growth  in  investment  in  the  Italian  water  sector 
(investment grew by 55 % between 2012 and 2015). 

increased 

141 European Commission, Ninth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Treatment Directive (COM(2017)749) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2017)445). 
142 OECD, Water-related investment needs and financing capabilities in 
EU member states, preliminary results - Report not published to date. 
143 Preliminary projection of needs for water supply and sanitation 
assuming 1) increased population growth, 2) full compliance with the 
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, 3) improvements of the water 
supply network, 4) full compliance with the new Drinking Water 
Directive. Sources of data for the OECD study include information from 
all Member States which was available and comparable. 
144 The figure is for compliance with the proposal for a new drinking 
water directive — combined with costs for reaching higher efficiency 
levels, connecting further parts of the population, and becoming 
compliant with the existing UWWTD 
145 Distance to target rates from European Commission, Ninth Report on 
the Implementation Status and the Programmes for Implementation of 
the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (COM(2017)749) and 
Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report 
(SWD(2017)445). 
146 ARERA former AEEGSI, mentioned in the 2017 EIR. 

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive  

In  urban  waste-water  treatment,  Italy  is  lagging  behind 
in  compliance  with  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment 
Directive (UWWTD). This is a cause for concern. Overall in 
Italy  in  2014,  93.8 %  of  waste  water  is  collected,  and 
71.9 %  of  the  load  collected  is  subjected  to  secondary 
treatment139.  

A total of  976 agglomerations have been found to be in 
breach  affecting  a  population  equivalent  of  over  28 
million  people.  There  has  been  an  overall  improvement 
in  compliance  of  around  15%  nationally,  but  in  the 
southern regions this varies from between 25% in Puglia 
to 3% in Calabria.  

Italy  appointed  an  emergency  commissioner  in  2017  to 
deal  with  the  infringements.  Furthermore,  the  Calabria 
region,  which  has  one  of  the  highest 
levels  of 
infringement,  has  now  set  up  a  database  containing  all 
the  agglomerations  subject  to  legal  procedures  for  their 
infringements. 
increase 
has 
transparency140.The  CJEU  ruled  against  Italy  on  31  May 
2018  for  its  non-compliance  with  the  UWWTD,  and 
ordered the country to pay fines. 

helped 

This 

to 

The  investment  needs  estimated  in  2014  by  the  Italian 
authorities  to  ensure  adequate  urban  waste  water 
collection & treatment i.e. compliance with the UWWTD 

135 European Environment Agency, 2017. European bathing water 
quality in 2016, p. 17. 
136 Ministry of Health, Il Portale Acque. 
137 EEA, State of Bathing waters. 
138 EEA, European bathing water quality in 2017, 2018, p. 21. 
139 European Commission, Ninth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Treatment Directive (COM(2017) 749) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2017) 445). 
140 Regione Calabria, database. 

25 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

in  2013  takes 

into  consideration  the 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  a  new  tariff  mechanism 
issued 
initial 
operating circumstances of each water-services operator. 
The mechanism then provides incentives for the operator 
to invest in its operating activities and make them more 
efficient. This incentive is equivalent to EUR 33 per capita 
per  year,  and  helps  to  fill  the  infrastructure  gap  in 
sewerage  and  waste-water  treatment147.  Over  80 %  of 
water investments are now financed through tariffs that 
allow  utilities  to  fully  recover  their  costs  rather  than 
through the public budget. 

investments 
Over  the  2016-2019  period,  projected 
financed  through  tariffs  amount  to  EUR 7.8  billion,  or 
EUR 9.9 billion in total when public funds are included148.  

Recent  changes  to  the  water  supply  and  sanitation 
markets have made water more affordable for people on 
low incomes. A range of new technical and infrastructural 
quality  standards  have  also  been  introduced  by  the 
government.  Future  investment  needs  are  forecast  to 
reach these new objectives149. 

Despite  being  the  major  water  user  in  the  country,  the 
agricultural sector pays lower water prices than domestic 
or  industrial  users,  providing  little  incentive  for  efficient 
water use. 

The ERDF 2014-2020 allocations for UWWT is EUR 654.9 
million  and  for  drinking  water  is  EUR  883.8  million.  The 
Puglia  region  is  efficiently  spending  the  ERDF  for  urban 
wastewater  with  236,000  additional  population  already 
connected  in  2017  compared  to  its  target  of  320,000  in 
2023150; however it appears to be an exception.  

In Campania, over EUR 800 million has been allocated by 
the  ERDF  for  water  2014-20.  European  Investment  Bank 
(EIB)  loans  are  also  being  used  to  upgrade  and  extend 
urban waste-water treatment, for example in Sardinia in 
2018. 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR, water scarcity and drought 
risks  exist  in  Italy.  National  guidelines  were  adopted  in 
setting  up 
February  2017  on  abstraction  and 
environmental  flows151.  In  order  to  maximise  water 
resources, the operators of acqueducts are reusing urban 
wastewater for agricultural, industrial and anti-incendiary 

147 ARERA 2016, Annual Report. 
148 ARERA 2017, Annual Report. 
149 European Commission-OECD, draft Italy fiche, Assessing member 
states’ investment needs and financing capacities for water supply, 
sanitation and flood protection, 2018. 
150 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report, Puglia, p.69 
151

Environmental flows  

26 

purposes  (e.g.  Puglia  with  the  ERDF  and  under  EFSI152, 
Sardinia and Veneto)153.  

Nitrates Directive 

the 
The  Commission’s  assessment  of  data  on 
implementation  of  the  Nitrates  Directive  for  2012-2015 
shows that there are monitoring stations with an average 
annual nitrate concentration equal or exceeding 50 mg/l 
in groundwater outside Nitrates Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) 
in  several  regions  except  Valle  d’Aosta  and  Alto  Adige. 
Lombardia  and  Piemonte  received  derogations  in  2015 
until 31 December 2019154. 

Floods Directive 

The  Floods  Directive  established  a  framework  for  the 
assessment and management of flood risks, aiming at the 
reduction  of  the  adverse  consequences  associated  with 
significant floods. Italy has adopted and reported its first 
FRMPs  under 
the  European 
the  Directive  and 
Commission conducted an assessment. 

The  Commission’s  assessment  found  that  good  efforts 
were made with positive results in setting objectives and 
devising  measures  focusing  on  prevention,  protection 
and  preparedness.  The  assessment  also  showed  that,  as 
was the case for other Member States, Italy’s FRMPs do 
not yet include measures that are clearly prioritised and 
linked  to  the  objectives  set  and  an  as  complete  as 
possible  estimation  of  the  cost  of  measures  with 
identification  of  specific  sources  of  funding.  In  addition, 
there 
change 
considerations  in  its  FRMPs  including  coordination  with 
the NAS.  

reinforcing 

climate 

scope 

for 

is 

In 2016, there were 31 flood incidents registered all over 
the  national  territory155.  According  to  data  collected  by 
ISPRA the damage caused by floods (and landslides) were 
at least EUR 1.96 billion (2016) & EUR 1.31 billion (2017). 
In  November  2018  Italy  was  hit  again  by  floods  and 
landslides  with  EUR  6  million  made  available  from  all 
sources156. 

The 2017 EIR described in detail the national operational 
plan  for  the  mitigation  of  hydrogeological  risk  in  the 

152 European Commission, EFSI 
153 CINSEDO water seminar, 5.10.2018; see also Reconstruction of the 
Favara di Burgio acqueduct, draft report November 2018, ex-post 
evaluation of major projects supported by the ERDF and Cohesion Fund 
between 2000 and 2013. 
154 Commission Implementing Decision No. 1040/2016/EU of 24 June 
2016 on granting a derogation requested by Italian Republic with regard 
to the Regions of Lombardia and Piemonte pursuant to Council 
Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against 
pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. 
155 ISPRA, Annuario dei dati ambientali 2017, table 15.8: Elenco delle 
principali alluvioni avvenute in Italia nel 2016, p.60, Chapter 15 
Pericolosità geologiche.  
156 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 30.10.2018 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

period  2015-2020.  In  March  2017,  EUR 2  billion  was  put 
aside  within 
the  mitigation  of 
the  plan 
hydrogeological risk through 500 projects. 157. 

for 

The  ERDF  has  co-financed  control  of  flood  risks  in 
Veneto,  reducing  flood  risk  by  75%  in  Vicenza158.  The 
ERDF  has  also  provided  EUR 1  million  for  the  URAMET 
project to provide harmonised meteorological data from 
violent  storms  in  French  and  Italian  coastal  regions 
caused  by  climate  change159.  Italy  is  using  funding  from 
the  ERDF  and  EAFRD  to  co-finance  nature-based  flood 
defences160.  An  example  of  this  green  infrastructure  is 
the Payment of Ecosytem Services (PES) scheme (the LIFE 
supported  ‘Bosco  Limite’  project)  in  the  province  of 
Padua161. 

There is a  EUR 800 million loan from the EIB to mitigate 
hydrogeological  risks.  The  EIB  is  also  financing  a  specific 
loan to deal with flood risk upriver from Florence, which 
was hit by a severe flood in 1966.  

2019 priority actions 

 

steps 

to  harmonise  different 

Take 
regional 
approaches,  in  particular  for  the  definition  of  the 
significance  of  pressures  in  relation  to  of  the  Water 
Framework Directive. 

  Reinforce  metering  for  all  abstractions,  and  review 
abstraction permits systems, especially in areas with 
water scarcity problems. 

steps 

  Designate missing nitrate vulnerable zones. 
 
climate 

Take 
change 
reinforce 
considerations  in  its  Flood  Risk  Management  Plans 
including  coordination  with  the  National  Climate 
Change Adaptation Strategy. 

to 

Chemicals 

The  EU  seeks  to  ensure  that  by  2020  chemicals  are 
produced and used in ways that minimise any significant 
adverse  effects  on  human  health  and  the  environment. 
An  EU  strategy  for  a  non-toxic  environment  that  is 
conducive  to  innovation  and  to  developing  sustainable 
substitutes,  including  non-chemical  options,  is  being 
prepared. 

legislation162  provides  baseline 
The  EU’s  chemicals 
protection  for  human  health  and  the  environment  and 

ensures 
operators within the internal market.  

stability  and  predictability 

for  economic 

The  2016  European  Chemicals  Agency  (ECHA)  report  on 
the  operation  of  REACH  and  CLP163  showed  that 
enforcement activities are still evolving. In the Forum for 
Exchange  of  Information  on  Enforcement,  coordinated 
enforcement  projects164  have 
the 
effectiveness  of  the  enforcement  activities  can  still  be 
improved, in particular regarding registration obligations 
and  Safety  Data  Sheets  where  a  relatively  high  level  of 
non-compliance has been found.  

shown 

that 

as 

national 

activities 

enforcement 

Whilst improving, there is room for further improvement 
of 
regards 
harmonisation  throughout  the  Union,  including  controls 
on  imported  goods.  It  is  also  clear  that  enforcement  is 
still  weak  in  some  Member  States  in  particular  with 
respect 
imports  and  supply  chain 
obligations. The architecture of enforcement  capabilities 
continues  to  be  complex  in  most  EU  countries.  The 
enforcement  projects  also  revealed  some  differences 
among Member States (e.g. some tend to systematically 
report higher compliance than the EU average and others 
lower). 

to  control  of 

A  2015  Commission  study  highlighted  already  the 
importance  of  harmonisation  in  the  implementation  of 
REACH  at  Member  State  level,  in  terms  of  market 
surveillance and enforcement, as a critical success factor 
in the operation of a harmonised single market165.  

In March 2018, the Commission published an evaluation 
of  REACH[1].  The  evaluation  concludes  that  REACH 
delivers  on  its  objectives,  but  that  progress  made  is 
slower  than  anticipated.  In  addition,  the  registration 
dossiers often are incomplete. The evaluation underlines 
the need to enhance enforcement by all actors, including 
in  particular  for 
registrants,  downstream  users  and 
importers,  to  ensure  a  level  playing  field,  meet  the 
objectives  of  REACH  and  ensure  consistency  with  the 
actions envisaged to improve environmental compliance 
and  governance.  Consistent  reporting  of  Member  State 
enforcement activities  was considered important  in that 
respect. 

The  Italian  Competent  Authority  for  REACH 
is  the 
Ministry of Health. The national Inter- Ministerial Decree 
22  November  2007,  O.J.  n.12  of  15  January  2008 

157 ERDF Annual Implementation Report (citizens report), Liguria, p. 7. 
158 European Commission, Panorama, summer 2018, no.65, p.60. 
159 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report (citizens report), FR-IT 
(Alcotra), p. 7. 
160 Secondary date synthesised in European Commission-OECD Italian 
fiche, Assessing member states’ investment needs and financing 
capacities for water supply, sanitation and flood protection, 2018. 
161 Bosco Limite. 
162 Principally for chemicals: REACH (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p.1.); for 
Classification, Labelling and Packaging, the CLP Regulation (: OJ L 252, 

31.12.2006, p.1.), together with legislation on biocidal products and 
plant protection products. 
163 European Chemicals Agency, Report on the Operation of REACH and 
CLP 2016. 
164 ECHA, On the basis of the projects REF-1, REF-2 and REF-3. 
165 European Commission. (2015). Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs. Brussels: European Commission 
[1] COM(2018) 116 final: Commission General Report on the operation 
of REACH and review of certain elements. Conclusions and Actions. 
Brussels, 5.3.2018. 

27 

                                                                 
 
                                                                                                        
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

establishes  the  cooperation  between  the  Competent 
Authority  and  other  administrations 
(Ministry  of 
Environment,  Ministry  of  Economic  Development, 
National 
Institute  for 
Environmental Protection and Research and Regions) 166. 

Institute  of  Health,  National 

Italy is one of the main producers of chemicals in Europe. 
The Italian chemical industry is concentrated in the north 
of  the  country,  close  to  European  markets  and  local 
customer companies. SMEs play a very significant role in 
many  European  countries,  but 
is 
particularly  significant  in  Italy,  where  they  account  for 
39 %  of  the  total  value  of  chemicals  production167. 
Furthermore, a high number of micro-firms (smaller than 
SMEs)  are  producing  chemicals  in  Italy,  higher  than  any 
other Member State168. 

their  presence 

Pesticides  have  been  found  in  two  thirds  of  the  Italian 
surface-water  samples  investigated  by  ISPRA,  and  the 
problem is particularly severe in the north-east of Italy169. 
The  chemicals  most  present  in  surface  waters  were 
glyphosate  and  its  metabolite  AMPA.  The  Environment 
Ministry has annonced a rexamination of discharge limits 
for  polyfluoroalkyl 
(PFAS)  and  other 
substances 
chemicals170; following an emergency in 2017the Veneto 
reduce 
region  used 
concentrations in the worst hit areas171. 

the  acqueduct 

system 

to 

Italy’s  technical  coordination  committee  (CTC)  is  an 
example of best  practice  in national-level  governance of 
the  REACH  Regulation.  The  CTC172  gathers  relevant 
branches of the public administration to agree a common 
position at both the national and EU level. To share this 
governance  experience,  a  website173  has  also  been  set 
up,  allowing  a  continuous  dialogue  to  take  place  among 
all relevant stakeholders. 

Italy 
is  using  the  Commission’s  Enterprise  Europe 
Network  to  improve  awareness  of  companies  of  their 
REACH  roles  and  the  obligations,  a  particular  challenge 
considering  the  high  number  of  micro  and  SMEs  in  the 
chemical sector174.  

Italy has undertaken a variety of actions to promote the 
substitution  of  hazardous  chemicals  between  2010  and 

166 ECHA.  
167 Federchimica. 
168 CEES, RPA & Okopol, Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs, Final Report, December 2015, 
pp. 103-4 
169 ISPRA, Pesticidi nelle Acque. 
170 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 08.08.2018 
171 F. Strazzabosco, CINSEDO water seminar, 5.10.2018. 
172 Ministry of Environment, Ministerial Decree 22.11.2007. 
173 Italian Government, REACH — Prodotti Chimici: informiamo i 
cittadini. 
174 CEES, RPA & Okopol, Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs, Final Report, December 2015, 
p. vii 

28 

2018. In 2017, two dedicated events were organised with 
the  participation  of  ECHA  and  the  Commission,  and  a 
survey  among  industry  players  was  launched  to  learn 
more  about  cases  of  substitution.  In  2018,  two  new 
workshops  were  planned  and  a  working  party  on 
substitution  was  set  up  within  the  Ministry  of  Health175 
176.  REACH  inspectors  have  been  trained  in  Italy  by 
ECHA177. 

Several  LIFE  projects  on  chemicals  have  also  been 
supported in Italy178. 

There is also an ongoing infringement procedure against 
Italy  for  the  non-conformity  of  Italian  legislation  with 
Directive  2010/63/EU  on  the  protection  of  animals  used 
for  scientific  purposes.  Inter  alia,  Italy  introduced  more 
stringent  measures,  thus  going  beyond  the  range  of 
normative discretion allowed by the Directive. 

Making cities more sustainable 

EU policy on the urban environment encourages cities to 
put  policies  in  place  for  sustainable  urban  planning  and 
design.  These  should  include  innovative  approaches  to 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation. 

transport  and  mobility, 

Europe  can  be  seen  as  a  Union  of  cities  and  towns: 
around  75%  of  the  EU  population  are  living  in  urban 
areas and this figure is projected to rise to just over 80% 
by  2050179.  The  urban  environment  poses  particular 
challenges for the environment and human health, whilst 
also  providing  opportunities  and  efficiency  gains  in  the 
use  of  resources.  Municipalieites  are  stimulated  to 
become greener through the Green Capital Award 180, the 
Green Leaf Award 181 and the Green City Tool 182. 

Financing greener cities 

Italy has allocated 5 % of its ERDF budget for 2014-2020 
to sustainable urban development. It also has a national 
ERDF  operation  programme  dedicated  to  metropolitan 
cities for the period 2014-2020. 

In  addition,  Italy  participates  in  the  Urban  Development 
Network183.  The 
the  Naples 
town  of  Portici 

in 

175 Italian Government, REACH and Substitution in Italy: 
challenges and opportunities, 2018. 
176 ECHA, Strategy to promote substitution to safer chemicals through 
innovation, December 2017, p. 18. 
177 CEES, RPA & Okopol, Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs, Final Report, December 2015, 
p.55 
178 For example, LIFE PHOENIX & LIFE MATHER 
179 European Commission, Eurostat, Urban Europe, 2016, p.9. 
180 European Commission, Green Capital Award.  
181 European Commission, Green Leaf Award. 
182 European Commission, Green City Tool.  
183 European Commission, The Urban Development Network. 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

more  than  19.4 %  of  people  in  Italian  cities  in  2017 
reported that they lived in an area affected by pollution, 
grime  or  other  environmental  problems.  This  compared 
to  an  EU  average  of  20.0 %186.  The  change  in  these 
percentages in recent years is shown in Figure 20. 

The  Sustainable  Development  Foundation  published  a 
report  in  2017  specifically  looking  at  the  challenges  for 
the green economy in cities187. Legambiente publishes an 
annual  report  on  the  urban  ecosystem188.  The  annual 
reports  by  CENSIS  are  another  source  of  information  on 
urban social trends of environmental relevance. 

The EU funded PASTA project compared citizen concerns 
about  air  pollution  in  7  European  cities.  The  results 
revealed  that,  on  average,  58%  of  participants  were 
worried about the health effects of air pollution with the 
figure for Rome being 72%189. 

Figure 20: People in Italian cities reporting that they live 
in an area affected by pollution, grime or other 
environmental problems190 

metropolitan  area  won  a  Urban  Innovative  Action  (UIA) 
on urban air quality in October 2018. 

Participation in EU urban initiatives and networks 

So far, no Italian city has either won or been shortlisted 
for the European Green City or Green Leaf Award. For the 
Green City award, Reggio Emilia applied in 2016, Bologna 
and  Florence  applied  for  2019  and  Prato  applied  for  in 
2020.  For  the  Green  Leaf  award,  Grottaglie  applied  in 
2018, Aosta, Orbassano and San Miniato applied in 2017 
and Siena applied in 2015. 

is  coordinating 

Italian cities are involved in 26 thematic networks dealing 
with  urban  issues  through  the  ERDF-supported  URBACT 
initiative  to  promote  sustainable  urban  development184. 
Italian  cities  are  coordinating  various  URBACT  networks: 
‘Jobtown’,  which  seeks  to 
Cesena 
promote  employment  and  opportunities  for  young 
people.  Genoa 
is  coordinating  ‘Interactive  Cities’,  a 
network  for  improving  digital-media,  social  media  and 
user-generated  content.  Naples 
is  coordinating  the 
‘Second  Chance’  network,  which  seeks  to  make  better 
use of vacant buildings and building complexes. It is also 
coordinating the CTUR network for the recovery of urban 
and  harbour  heritage.  Piacenza 
is  coordinating  the 
‘MAPS’  (Military  Assets  as  Public  Spaces)  network.  San 
Donà  di  Piave  is  coordinating  the  ‘CityCentreDoctor’ 
network  to  revitalise  city  centres.  Turin  is  coordinating 
the  ‘Building  Healthy  Communities’  network.  Venice  is 
‘MILE’  network  for  regions  seeking  to 
leading  the 
promote economic change. 

Nature and cities 

11 % of the Natura 2000 network in Italy is within urban 
areas, below the EU average  of 15 %  191 (see Figure 21). 
The indicator for access to green areas192(where a higher 
number  means  greater  or  easier  access)  are  Milan:  6.9, 
Naples: 4.1 and Rome: 11.7. Of the 14 metropolitan cities 
in  Italy193,  the  greenest  is  Genoa  with  an  indicator  of 

186 European Commission, Eurostat, Pollution, grime or other 
environmental problems by degree of urbanisation. 
187 Foundation on Sustainable Development, Relazione sullo stato dello 
green economy 2017, pp.10-33. 
188 Legambiente, Ecosistema Urbano 2017 
189 Dons, E., Laeremans, M., AnayaBoig, E. et al. (2018). Concern over 
health effects of air pollution is associated to NO2 in seven European 
cities. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health 11(5), 591-599 
190 European Commission, Eurostat, Pollution, grime or other 
environmental problems by degree of urbanisation. 
191 European Commission, 2017, The 7th Report on Economic, Social and 
Territorial Cohesion, p. 121. 
192 Population-weighted median area (in hectares) of green urban areas 
and forests that can be walked to in 10 minutes. 
193 Covered by the ERDF OP Metroplitan Cities 

Italian cities are also heavily involved in initiatives such as 
Eurocities and the EU Covenant of Mayors. 

In  addition, 
EU-supported 
energy185. 

Italian  cities  are 
‘smart  cities’ 

involved 

in  various 
initiatives,  especially  on 

All  of  these  efforts  should  be  encouraged,  as  slightly 

184URBACT. 
185 EU Smart Cities Information System 

29 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

17.3, and the least green is Messina with an indicator of 
0.9. 

The  Italian  statistics  agency  ISTAT  does  not  have  more 
up-to-date information on urban green space194. 

A study on sustainable urban drainage systems in Avola, 
Sicily showed that green roofs can be more effective than 
permeable paving for controlling flood risk. In the study, 
green roofs halved the volume of flooding over a 10-year 
period, while permeable paving only slightly reduced the 
incidence of flooding195. 

Figure  21:  Proportion  of  Natura  2000  network 
Functional Urban Areas (FUA) 196 

in 

The annual budget law of 2018 provides a green bonus of 
36 % on the costs up to EUR 5 000  for restructuring and 
irrigating gardens and green areas in building complexes. 

Urban sprawl 

Italy  had 

In  2009, 
the  highest  weighted  urban 
proliferation (WUP) with 2.18 UPU/m2 197 compared to a 
European  average  (EU28+EEA4)  of  1.64  UPU/m2.  This 
represented an increase of 4.59 % from 2006 to 2009198. 
Urbanisation  is  highest  in  the  north,  with  Lombardy 
having a WUP of 4.30 UPU/m2.  

Traffic congestion and urban mobility 

Passenger cars account for a large share of Italy’s ‘modal 
split’  (the  percentage  of  passenger  kilometres  travelled 
within a country, on private passenger cars, trains, buses 
or coaches). The total number of passenger cars in 2015 
in  the  modal  split  was  80.7 %  (EU  average:  81.3 %)199. 
Italy  also  scores  high  on  ownership  of  passenger  cars. 

194 ISTAT Green Space, latest data was presented in the 2017 EIR. 
195 Pappalardo, V., La Rosa, D., Campisano, A., La Greca, P. (2017). The 
potential of green infrastructure application in urban runoff control for 
land use planning: A preliminary evaluation from a southern Italy case 
study. Ecosystem Services. 26(B): pp. 345-354. 
196 European Commission, the 7th Report on Economic, Social and 
Territorial Cohesion, 2017, p. 121. 
197 Urban Permeation Units measure the size of the built-up area as well 
as its degree of dispersion throughout the region. 
198 EEA, Urban Sprawl in Europe, Annex I, pp.4-5; p. 14. 
199 European Commission, Transport in the European Union Current 
Trends and Issues, p. 69, 2018. 

30 

Italy had 625 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants in 
2016,  well  above  the  EU  average  of  505  passenger 
cars200.  

There  is  a  dedicated  ERDF  national  programme  for 
metropolitan  cities  2014-2020.  The  2015  Environmental 
Act201  also  provides  funds  for  sustainable  transport  in 
cities. 

According  to  INRIX,  a  transport-data  analytics  company, 
the  average  number  of  peak-travelling-time  hours  spent 
in  traffic  congestion  in  Italy  in  2017  was  15.  Rome  was 
ranked  as  the  most  congested  city  with  a  figure  of  39 
hours202.  People  in  Italy  spent  almost  38  hours  in  traffic 
congestion  in  2016,  an  increase  from  35.5  hours  in 
2014203. 

Just  over  half  of  people  (56 %)  who  live  in  cities  walk 
every  day,  compared  to  the  European  average  of  68 %. 
66 % of Italian city-dwellers say they use a car every day, 
compared  to  the  EU  average  of  50 %.  On  public 
transport,  13 %  of  urban  Italians  use  public  transport 
daily,  which  is  below  the  EU  average  of  16 %.  When 
asked  how  often  they  cycle  in  the  city,  13 %  of  Italian 
city-dwellers  cycle  at  least  once  a  day,  compared  to  an 
EU average of 12 %204. 

‘Smart  mobility’  means 
increasing  the  sustainability, 
efficiency  and  effectiveness  of  the  transport  system, 
primarily through improved connectivity. A 2017 study205 
examined  sustainable  transport  on  a  national  level  in 
Italy  from  2005  to  2015  to  see  how  sustainable  urban 
mobility plans or SUMPS (proposed by the Commission in 
2013) were implemented. SUMPS provide the framework 
for  ERDF  investments,  and  in  Italy  a  decree206  requires 
municipalities  with  more  than  100.000  inhabitants  to 
prepare and adopt such plans within two years. 

The  researchers  looked  at  22  Italian  cities  to  assess 
changes  in  public  transport,  cycle  lanes,  bicycle-sharing 
and car-sharing schemes. 

Public  transport  showed  the  least  change  in  the  study, 
with  demand  remaining  constant  between  2005  and 
2015.  The  main  improvements  to  public  transport  were 
in  technology,  such  as  smart-phone  apps  to  buy  tickets 
and  check  timetables.  For  cycle  lanes,  the  northern 
Italian  cities  generally 
showed  greater  bike-path 
development,  although  Cagliari  and  Palermo  extended 
their  bike  paths  and  cycle  infrastructure.  The  study  also 

200 Eurostat, Passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants, 2018. 
201 National Law 28.12.2015, in force since 4.2.2016. 
202 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, p. 13; p. 17. 
203 European Commission, Hours spent in road congestion annually . 
204European Commission, Special Eurobarometer 406, Attitudes of 
Europeans towards urban mobility, pp.7-10. 
205 Pinna, F., Masala, F. & Garau, C. (2017) Urban policies and mobility 
trends in Italian smart cities. Sustainability. 9:494. 
206 Decree n. 397/2017, August 2017 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

showed  that  bike-sharing  schemes  expanded  rapidly 
during the ten-year period.  

Car  sharing  has  also  become  more  widely  available  in 
Italy,  according  to  the  study.  In  2005,  car  sharing  was 
only available in four cities, but by 2015 the availability of 
car  sharing  in  these  cities  had  increased,  and  five  more 
cities had developed schemes. However, the researchers 
point  out  that  the  success  of  car-sharing  schemes  is 
linked  to  good  public-transport  systems,  as  the  two 
services  are  complementary. 
‘Park-and-ride’  services 
have also been developed in most cities. 

The study showed that electric modes of transport were 
still  limited  in  Italy  and  electric  vehicles  made  up  only 
0.01 % of all cars in the cities studied in 2015.  

Not  all  Italians  have  easy  access  to  public  transport.  In 
2012,  the  percentage  of  the  population  having  a  very 
high  or  high 
in  accessing  public 
transport  was  37.5 %  in  rural  areas,  36 %  in  towns  and 
suburbs and 22.7 % in cities207. 

level  of  difficulty 

The ERDF-supported flagship project for a tram system in 
Florence is still under construction208. EIB loans are being 
used  in  Naples  to  complete  the  city’s  metro  system209. 
The ERDF is also being used in Lombardy to promote the 
construction  of  cycle 
installation  of 
recharging points for cars210.  

lanes  and  the 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR, the government has set up 
national observatories for shared mobility211 and on local 
public  transport212.  The  Connecting  Italy  (‘Connettere 
Italia’)  strategy  for  transport  infrastructure  and  logistics, 
continues  to  be  implemented213.  The  national  reform 
programme  2018  also  refers  to  various  transport  and 
to  urban  areas214.
relevance 
logistics  plans  of 

207 Eurostat, Difficulty in accessing public transport by level of difficulty 
and degree of urbanisation. 
208 European Commission, regional projects, Florence tram. 
209 EIBI –Napoli urban transport. 
210 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report (citizens report), 
Lombardy, p. 9. 
211 Observatory on Mobility Sharing. 
212 Osservatorio Nazionale sulle politiche del Trasporto Pubblico Locale. 
213 Connettere l’Italia — Strategie per le infrastrutture 
di trasporto e logistica, pp.44-46; Strategy. 
214 National Reform programme 2018, p. 97, p. 134, p. 165. More 
specifically these are: i) a general transport and logistics plan, which 
aims to improve urban transport; ii) the national strategic plan for ports 
and logistics, and; iii) the strategic plan for renewing the local and 
regional bus fleet. 

31 

                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Part II: Enabling framework: implementation tools 

4. Green taxation, green public procurement, environmental 

funding and investments 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful 
subsidies 

incentives, 

taxation  and  other  economic 
Financial 
instruments  are  effective  and  efficient  ways  to  meet 
environmental  policy  objectives.  The  circular  economy 
action  plan  encourages  their  use.  Environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  are  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  the  energy  union  governance 
process. 

Italy’s  environmental  tax  revenues  amounted  to  3.33 % 
of  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP)  in  2017  (the  EU  28 
average  was  2.4 %  of  GDP),  as  shown  in  Figure  22215. 
Energy  taxes  amounted  to  2.65 %  of  GDP,  with  the  EU 
average  being  1.84 %.  In  the  same  year,  environmental 
tax revenues accounted for 7.85 % of total revenues from 
taxes  and  social-security  contributions  (EU-28  average: 
5.97 %). 

Labour tax revenues as a share of total tax revenues was 
in  line  with  the  EU  average,  at  49.1 %  in  2016.  The  tax 
burden  on  labour  was  42.6 %  in  2015216.  Consumption 
taxes  remained  relatively  low  (26.5 %  of  tax  revenues, 
placing  Italy  24th  in  the  EU-28).  This  suggests  there  is 
significant  potential  for  shifting  taxes  from  labour  to 
consumption and in particular to environmental taxes. 

In  the  European  Semester  (the  Commission’s  annual 
assessment  of  Member  States),  the  Commission  has 
repeatedly  highlighted  the  potential  in  Italy  to  increase 
certain  environmental  taxes.  It  recommended  greater 
environmental taxes in both 2017 and 2018217. 

Nevertheless,  there  are  several 
Italy 
implementing sound fiscal measures on the environment. 
A good example is the phytosanitary production tax. The 
revenue  is  distributed  annually  to  projects  supporting 
organic agriculture218. 

instances  of 

Several  tax  exemptions  and  rebates  remain  in  place  in 
the  country  for  the  use  of  fossil  fuels  in  sectors  such  as 
and  public 
energy, 

agriculture,  private 

fishing, 

215 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues. 
216 European Commission, Taxation Trends Report, 2017. 
217 European Commission, European Semester Country Report 2018, p. 
54. 
218 Institute for European Environmental Policy, Case Studies on 
Environmental Fiscal Reform, Phytosanitary tax in Italy. 

32 

transportation,  trucking  and  rail  transport219.  These 
exemptions are estimated at EUR12 billion in 2016. 

Figure  22:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  %  of  GDP 
(2017)220 

The  Regulation  on  the  Governance  of  the  Energy  Union 
required Member States to detail in their National Energy 
and  Climate  Plans  as  well  as  to  report  on  national 
policies,  timelines  and  measures  to  phase  out  energy 
subsidies, in particular for fossil fuels. However, the 2015 
this  new  European 
Environmental  Act  anticipates 
the  Ministry  of 
obligation  and  already 
Environment  to  produce  annually  a  Catalogue  of 
environmentally  friendly  subsidies  and  environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  by  31 July  of  each  year.  In  the  first 
estimate  for  2016,  environmentally  harmful  subsidies 
amounted  to  EUR 16.2  billion  and  environmentally 
friendly  subsidies  amounted  to  EUR 15.7  billion.  The 
former include EUR 12 billion of fossil fuel subsidies. Italy 

requires 

219 OECD, Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels, 2018. 
220 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, 2019 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

had  proposed  to  setup  a  committee  on  environmental 
taxation  in  2015.  However,  this  did  not  occur  and  there 
has  been  no 
it.  The  2015 
further  mention  of 
Environmental  Act  set  up  a  National  Natural  Capital 
Committee,  required  to  produce  a  report  by  the 
28 February  of  each  year; 
includes  available 
environmental  accounting  and  economic  estimates.  The 
second  report  by  this  Committee  was  produced 
in 
February 2018, as mentioned earlier in this report221 222. 

it 

Considerable  progress  has  been  made  on  reducing  the 
‘diesel  differential’  (difference  in  the  price  of  diesel 
versus petrol) since 2005. In 2016 there was still an 18 % 
gap between the petrol and  diesel excise rates,  while in 
2005 it was 37 %223. Excise tax rates levied on petrol and 
diesel 
in  2015 
in  2016  remained  similar  to  those 
(EUR 0.73 per litre for petrol and EUR 0.61 for diesel)224. 
In  September  2018,  there  was  around  a  10  cent 
difference  between  petrol  and  diesel  pump  prices,  a 
difference of 7.5%. 

Incentives  to  purchase  cars  with  lower  CO2  emissions 
were  common  in  2016.  These  incentives  include  annual 
circulation taxes, road tolls, congestion-zone charges and 
low-emission-zone  charges.  The  incentives  also  included 
lower  taxes  on  the  purchase  of  new  cleaner  vehicles 
compared to higher-emission vehicles. New conventional 
fuel  vehicles  purchased  in  Italy  are  among  the  most 
environmentally  friendly  in  the  EU,  with  average  CO2 
emissions  of  113.3  grams  per  kilometre,  below  the  EU 
average of 118 grams in 2016 225. 

After  some  years  when  the  market  share  of  new 
alternative-fuel passenger cars grew, the share has fallen 
considerably,  and  stood  at  2.56 %  in  2016,  despite  Italy 
being one of the main consumers in the EU of biodiesel 
with  just  over  6 %  in  2015226.  This  is  still  far  below  the 
target  for  renewable  energy  to  account  for  10 %  of 
transport energy by 2020.  

The  Italian  government  is  further  taking  actions  to 
elaborate  legal  and  technical  frameworks  in  view  of  the 
development  of  corporate  Power  Purchase  Agreements 
in  Italy  to  develop  the  renewable  energy  market,  in  line 
with  principles  of  the  recast  of  the  Renewable  Energy 
Directive. 

221 Ministry of Environment. 
222 National Reform Programme 2018, pp.112-113. 
223 European Environment Agency 2017, Environmental taxation and EU 
environmental policies, p. 24. The difference between petrol and diesel 
tax rates are expressed as % of diesel, i.e. positive values indicate that 
the petrol tax rates is by % percentage higher than diesel tax rate.  
224 European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database, 2018. 
225 European Environment Agency, Average CO2 emissions from new 
passenger cars sold in EU-28 Member States plus Norway, Iceland and 
Switzerland in 2016. 
226 European Commission, Transport in the European Union Current 
Trends and Issues, pp.71-72, 2018. 

Green public procurement 

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member  States  to  take  further  steps  to  apply  green 
procurement  criteria  to  at  least  50 %  of  public  tenders. 
The European Commission is  helping to increase the use 
of  public  procurement  as  a  strategic  tool  to  support 
environmental protection. 

The purchasing power of public procurement amounts to 
around  EUR 1.8  trillion  in  the  EU  (approximately  14%  of 
GDP).  A  substantial  proportion  of  this  money  goes  to 
impact  such  as 
sectors  with  a  high  environmental 
construction  or  transport.  Therefore,  green  public 
procurement  (GPP)  can  help  to  significantly  lower  the 
negative  impact  of  public  spending  on  the  environment 
and  can  help  support  sustainable  innovative  businesses. 
The Commission has proposed EU GPP criteria227. 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR, in 2013 Italy adopted the 
national action plan for GPP. A revision of this action plan 
is  currently  ongoing.  The  national  action  plan  for  GPP 
requires  the  Ministry  of  Environment  to  set  out  the 
minimum environmental criteria for public procurement. 
These minimum environmental criteria are the reference 
point  at national level for the use of GPP by contracting 
authorities. 

inclusion 

The 
in  their  contracts  of  the  minimum 
environmental  criteria  is  mandatory  for  all  contracting 
authorities  regardless  of  the  value  of  the  contract. 
Minimum environmental criteria, approved by ministerial 
decrees,  have  been  published  for  18  product  groups, 
including  buildings,  vehicles,  and 
food-and-catering 
services.  For  example,  minimum  environmental  criteria 
for public lighting entered into force in 2018228. 

To monitor the uptake of GPP, an agreement was signed 
in March 2018 between the Ministry of Environment and 
the National Anti-corruption Agency, identified by law as 
the body in charge of monitoring GPP229. 

A remaining challenge for green public procurement is to 
include green infrastructure in public tenders. 

A European Parliament  study shows that Italy is a  front-
runner  in  the  implementation  of  its  national  action plan 
for GPP230. 

227 In the Communication ‘Public procurement for a better 
environment’ (COM /2008/400) the Commission recommended the 
creation of a process for setting common GPP criteria. The basic 
concept of GPP relies on having clear, verifiable, justifiable and 
ambitious environmental criteria for products and services, based on a 
life-cycle approach and scientific evidence base. 
228 Ministry of Environment. 
229 Ministry of Environment. 
230 European Parliament, Green Public Procurement and the Action Plan 
for the Circular Economy, 2017, pp. 79-80. 

33 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Environmental funding and investments 

European  Structural  and  Investment  Fund  (ESIF)  rules 
oblige  Member  States  to  promote  environment  and 
climate  in  their  funding  strategies  and  programmes  for 
economic, 
rural 
development and maritime policy. 

social  and 

territorial 

cohesion, 

Achieving  sustainability  involves  mobilising  public  and 
private  financing  sources231.  Use  of  the  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (ESIFs)232  is  essential  if 
countries  are  to  achieve  their  environmental  goals  and 
into  other  policy  areas.  Other 
integrate 
instruments such as Horizon 2020, the LIFE programme233 
and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)234 
may also support the implementation and spread of good 
practices. 

these 

European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 

Italy  benefits  from  European  structural  and  investment 
funds  (ESIF)  funding  of  EUR 44.7  billion  through  15 
national  and  60  regional  programmes.  With  a  national 
contribution  of  just  over  EUR 31  billion,  Italy  has  a  total 
budget  to  spend  of  just  over  EUR 76  billion.  Figure  23 
shows  the  financing  Italy  receives  through  ESIF  funds, 
broken down into different investment themes. 

Other instruments such as Horizon 2020, the Connecting 
Europe Facility, the LIFE programme235, EIB loans and the 
EFSI236  may  also  support  environmental  implementation 
and the spread of best practice in environmental funding. 

Cohesion policy 

Italy will receive EUR 31.8 billion in total cohesion policy 
funding (ERDF and the European Social  Fund (ESF)) over 
the  2014-2020  period,  excluding  national  co-financing 
(9% of the total cohesion policy 2014-2020).  
In the period 1988-2018, Campania (2nd place), Sicily (4th 
place),  and  Puglia  (7th  place)  has  received  the  highest 
amount of ERDF co-financing in the EU237. 

Cohesion  policy  (and  rural  development)  is  a  mixed 
competence,  shared  by  both  national  programmes  and 
regional  programmes.  The  less  developed  south  of  the 

231 See, for example, Action plan on financing sustainable growth 
(COM(2018) 97).  
232 i.e. the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion 
Fund (CF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural 
Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and 
Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The ERDF, the CF and the ESF are referred to as 
the ‘cohesion policy funds’. 
233 European Commission, LIFE programme. 
234 European Investment Bank, European Fund for Strategic 
Investments, 2016. 
235 European Commission, LIFE Italy Sheet, 2016. 
236 European Investment Bank, European Fund for Strategic 
Investments, 2016. 
237 European Commission, Panorama, summer 2018, no.65, p.42. 

country (Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Apulia and Sicily) 
and  transition  regions  (Abruzzo,  Molise  and  Sardinia) 
receive  more  funding  than  the  more  developed  central 
and northern regions in both the ERDF and the National 
Cohesion  and  Development  Fund.  80 %  of  this  funding 
goes to the south, and only 20 % to the centre and north. 
Investments in water and waste infrastructure from ERDF 
funding  are  strongly  concentrated  in  the  less  developed 
south and in Sardinia for 2014-2020. 

For  projects  dealing  with  natural  capital  (biodiversity), 
clean-ups  of  contaminated  land,  and  risk  prevention, 
funding  from  the  ERDF  2014-2020  is  now  available  for 
projects anywhere in Italy. In central and northern Italy, 
investments  are 
focused  on  sustainable  transport, 
sustainable energy, research, and the competitiveness of 
SMEs. This includes opportunities for eco-innovation and 
promoting the circular economy. 

Figure  23:  ESIF  2014-2020  –  EU  allocations  by  theme, 
Italy (EUR billion) 238 

For  direct  environmental  expenditure239,  Italy  spent 
EUR 2.045  billion  from  the  ERDF  2007-2013  programme 
in 2008, and EUR 2.107 billion in 2016. 

238 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 
Data By Country. 
239 ERDF codes 44 to 51 & 53 & 54. 

34 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

For the 2014-20 period as a whole, direct environmental 
allocated  expenditure  is  estimated  at  EUR 2.294  billion. 
Indirect  environmental  allocated  expenditures  for  the 
period 2014-2020 as a whole from both the ERDF and ESF 
are estimated at EUR 6.502 billion. As the ERDF allocation 
is insufficient to close implementation gaps for water and 
waste,  financing  from  national  resources  (and  EIB  and 
EFSI loans) is also needed. 

Current data suggest that the EU funds for the 2007-2013 
period were almost fully spent (92 %) in the ERDF ; thus 
Italy did not succeed to spend 8% of the allocated funds. 
However,  experience  shows  that  the  environmental 
sector performs much worse than other sectors. 

receive  27  billion  under  the  first  pillar  in  this  period,  so 
approximately  EUR  8.1  billion  will  be  earmarked  for 
environmental protection in 2014-2020.  

In  the  current  programming  period,  the  Ministry  of 
Environment  has  shown  a  strong  commitment 
in 
improving  funding  for  nature  conservation,  in  particular 
through their participation in the monitoring committees 
of the ROPs and RDPs 2014-2020. 

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 

Over  the  2014-2020  period,  Italy  will  receive  EUR 537 
million for fisheries and maritime affairs from EU sources. 
EUR 228 million of this funding is for the environment242. 

to  bring 

Italy  has  created  a  network 
together 
environmental  authorities  and  managing  authorities  of 
structural  funds  (the  so-called  Rete)240.  The  Ministry  of 
Environment  has  also  developed  several  initiatives  and 
projects to strengthen its support  for the regions. These 
initiatives and projects were detailed in the 2017 EIR. All 
the  operational  programmes  funded  by  the  structural 
funds  explicitly 
the  use  of  minimum 
to 
environmental  criteria  (as  identified  by  the  national 
action  plan  on  GPP).  This  ensures  that  co-financed 
activities  respect  air  quality  plans  under  Directive 
2008/50/EC,  and  that  urban  transport  investments  are 
consistent with the sustainable urban mobility plans. The 
strategic  environmental  assessment  (SEA)  monitoring 
indicators  in  in  the  networks  and  mobility  operational 
programmes  2007-2013  and  2014-2020  are  a  best 
practice241. 

refer 

One  of  the  selection  criteria  used  in  all  2014-20  ERDF 
is  that  the  programme  must  promote 
programmes 
sustainable development.  

An analysis by the Commission of the 2018 ERDF annual 
implementation  reports  shows  that  Italy  has  made 
in  co-financing  waste  and  water 
limited  progress 
infrastructure 
in  the 
southern  regions.  The  notable  exceptions  to  this  were 
Apulia  (where  progress  was  made  on  treating  urban 
waste water) and Sardinia (where some limited progress 
was made in reducing waste going to landfills). 

(including  reducing 

leakages) 

The Connecting Europe Facility 

The  Connecting  Europe  Facility  (CEF)  has  provided 
EUR 1.4  billion  for  projects  to  promote  sustainable 
transport243 up to the end of 2017. In energy, the projects 
planned by Italy have been to promote Liquified Natural 
gas (LNG)244. 

Horizon 2020 

Italy  has  benefited  from  Horizon  2020  funding  since  the 
programme  started  in  2014.  As  of  January  2019,  3 161 
participants  have  been  granted  a  maximum  amount  of 
EUR 1.02 billion for projects from the Societal Challenges 
work 
environmental 
issues245 246.  

dealing  with 

programmes 

In  addition  to  the  abovementioned  work  programmes, 
climate and biodiversity expenditure is present across the 
entire  Horizon  2020.  In  Italy,  projects  accepted  for 
funding  in  all  Horizon  2020  working  programmes  until 
December  2018  included  EUR  1  billion  destined  to 
climate  action  (31.1 %  of  the  total  Horizon  2020 
contribution  to  the  country)  and  EUR  128  million  for 
biodiversity-related  actions  (4 %  of  the  Horizon  2020 
contribution to the country)247. 

LIFE programme 

Over  a  25-year  period  from  1992  to  2017,  the  EU’s  LIFE 
investments  of 
programme  has  helped 

Italy  make 

Rural development 

In the 2014-2020 period, Italy will also receive 10.4 billion 
for rural development from EU sources, of which EUR 4.1 
billion is allocated for environment. Italy will also receive 
funding  for  basic  environmental  protection  under  the 
first  pillar  of  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP).  For 
the period 2014-2020, 30 % of the CAP first pillar will be 
allocated  to  basic  environmental  protection.  Italy  will 

240 Ministry of Environment, Rete. 
241 2018 ERDF Annual Implementation Report, Networks and Mobility, 
p. 34. 

242 European Commission, Italy EMFF Fact Sheet. 
243 European Commission, European Semester Country Report Italy 
2018, p. 15. 
244 European Commission, Connecting Europe Facility. 
245 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA (COmmon 
Research DAta Warehouse). A maximum grant amount is the maximum 
grant amount decided by the Commission. It normally corresponds to 
the requested grant, but it may be lower. 
246 i.e. (ii) Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine 
and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy; (iii) 
Secure, clean and efficient energy; (iv) Smart, green and integrated 
transport; and (v) Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and 
raw materials. 
247 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA (COmmon 
Research DAta Warehouse). 

35 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

EUR 1.386  billion,  with  the  EU  itself  contributing 652 
million of that sum248. Over this time period, Italy has had 
the  largest  number  of  LIFE  projects  out  of  all  the  EU 
Member States. Notable LIFE projects in Italy include the 
LIFE integrated projects PREPAIR to improve air quality in 
the  Po  valley  basin,  and  GESTIRE  2020,  which  funded 
Natura  2000  projects  in  Lombardy.  The  Ministry  of 
Environment has set up a LIFE national contact point249. 

National environmental financing 

In addition to co-financing EU projects, Italy spent a total 
of EUR 34.2 billion on environmental protection in 2015, 
increase  of  6.4 %  from  2013252.  21.6 %  of  this 
an 
expenditure came from the public sector (the average in 
the  EU  is  26.3 %),  while  corporations  accounted  for 
almost  half  of  the  total  (45.1 %),  and  households  for 
33.2 %.  

European Investment Bank 

The  EIB  Group  (the  European  Investment  Bank  and  the 
European  Investment  Fund  combined)  invested  EUR 8.5 
billion  in  Italy  over  the  course  of  2018,  making  the 
country a large beneficiary of EIB funding during the year. 
22.4 % of this investment went to support environmental 
projects,  12.5 %  went  to  Italian  SMEs,  24.5 %  went  to 
infrastructure  spending,  and  40.6 %  was  spent  on 
innovation and skills (Figure 24). 
Figure 24: EIB loans to Italy in 2018250 

is 

Italy 

investing 

Despite  the  relatively  low  level  of  public  funding  for 
environmental  protection, 
in  the 
environment through its plan for environment (as part of 
its  National  Cohesion  and  Development  Fund),  with  a 
budget  of  EUR 1.9  billion  for  the  2014-2020  period. 
87.5 % of this budget is for water (EUR 1.66 billion), 6.6 % 
is  for  waste  (EUR 126  million),  and  the  remainder  is  for 
infrastructure  and  energy  efficiency253.  Other 
green 
sources  of  environmental  financing  include  the  Pact  for 
the South, funds released through CIPE254, funds through 
the 2014 Unblock Italy Decree 

Overall environmental financing 

Italy 

the  annual 

In 
total  public  environmental 
expenditure  as  a  percentage  of  GDP  is  estimated  at 
around 1.12%255. 

As it has been mentioned through the report, one of the 
main challenges for Italy is to ensure that environmental 
financing remains at an adequate level. Existent financial 
gaps in areas such as nature protection, water, waste or 
air  are  delaying  the  correct 
implementation  of  EU 
environmental  law  and  policies.  Therefore,  ensuring 
financial  resources  to  reduce  the  implementation  gap 
should be considered as a priority for the country. 

European Fund for Strategic Investments 

2019 priority actions 

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is an 
initiative to help overcome the current investment gap in 
the  EU  and  support  economic  growth.  Italy  had  EFSI-
approved financing of EUR 9.5 billion as of January 2019, 
with  an  expected  related 
investment  of  EUR  55.2 
billion251.  EFSI  projects  to  deal  with  hydrogeological 
hazards, 
and 
waste-water 
decontaminated  land  have  been  cited  earlier  in  this 
report. 

treatment 

urban 

 

 

 

Close  the  serious  implementation  gaps  for  water, 
waste and air using EU and national funds and other 
sources.  
Enhance the use of EU funds to implement targeted 
nature conservation measures.  
environmental 
Improve 
administrations  at  national,  regional  and  local  to 
ensure programmed expenditure takes place.  

capacity 

the 

of 

248 EASME internal communication 15.2.2018. 
249 LIFE projects national page, Ministry of Environment. 
250 EIB. 
251  European Investment Bank, EFSI project map. 

252 Eurostat, National Expenditure on Environmental Protection, 2018. 
253 Ministry of Environment, Piano Operativo ‘Ambiente’ Fondo Sviluppo 
e Coesione (FSC) 2014-2020 Delibere CIPE n. 25 del 10/08/2016 e n. 55 
del 1.12.2016. 
254 Comitato interministeriale per la programmazione economica 
255 Commission annualized estimate based on ESIF, Horizon 2020, EIB 
and EFSI loans, LIFE and national public environmental expenditures 
2014-2020. 

36 

 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

5. Strengthening environmental governance 

Information, public participation and access to 
justice 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they  can  rely  on  the  three  ‘pillars’  of  the  Aarhus 
Convention:  
(i) access to information;  
(ii) public participation in decision making; and  
(iii) access to justice in environmental matters.  

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and  business  that  environmental  information  is  shared 
efficiently  and  effectively256.  Public  participation  allows 
authorities  to  make  decisions  that  take  public  concerns 
into account. Access to justice is a set of guarantees that 
allows  citizens  and  NGOs  to  use  national  courts  to 
protect the environment257. It includes the right to bring 
legal challenges (‘legal standing’)258. 

Environmental information 

Italy  has  a  main  National  Environmental  Information 
System  portal  that  carries  out  all  the 
information 
functions of the national node of the SINAnet network.259 
The information is generally  easily obtained through the 
is  adequately 
national  environmental  portal  and 
disseminated. Generally there are links to European legal 
base  documents  and  also  links  to  national  policies  and 
programs  related  to  the  main  environmental  domains. 
Historical  data  sets  are  mostly  provided  and  also  some 
limited  metadata.  Generally 
the  system  can  be 
characterized as a centralized system with links to related 
environmental  portals  with  some  limitations  on  search 
functionalities.  

Italy’s  performance  on  the 
implementation  of  the 
INSPIRE  Directive  leaves  room  for  improvement.  The 
accessibility  of  spatial  data  through  view  and  download 
services  is  poor.  The  performance  has  been  reviewed 
based  on  their  2016  implementation  report260  and  their 

256 The Aarhus Convention, the Access to Environmental Information 
Directive 2003/4/EC and the INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC together 
create a legal foundation for the sharing of environmental information 
between public authorities and with the public. This EIR focuses on 
INSPIRE. 
257 The guarantees are explained in Commission Notice on access to 
justice in environmental matters, OJL 275, 18.8.2017 and a related 
Citizen’s Guide. 
258 This EIR looks at how well Member States explain access to justice 
rights to the public, and at legal standing and other major barriers to 
bringing cases on nature and air pollution. 
259 National Environmental Information System portal  
260 INSPIRE IT country sheet 2017  

implementation 

most  recent  monitoring  data  from  2017261.  Good 
levels  exist  for  data 
progress  and 
identification  and  documentation  of  data.  Additional 
efforts  are  needed  to  improve  data  sharing  and  reuse, 
making  the  data  accessible  through  services  and  to 
prioritise  environmental  datasets  in  the  implementation 
in  particular  those  identified  as  high-value  spatial  data 
sets 
implementation  of  environmental 
legislation262.  On  17  November  2017  there  were  19  261 
metadata  entries  (spatial  data  and  services)  for  Italy  in 
the INSPIRE Geoportal database. There are 453 different 
conditions  applying  to  the  access  and  use  and  219 
different  applicable 
limitations  on  public  access 
documented  in  metadata  published  by  Italy.  Figure  25 
shows access to spatial data. 

the 

for 

As  mentioned 
in  the  2017  EIR,  the  Ministry  of 
Environment  maintains a  public database (the Portal  for 
Environmental  Assessments),  which  has  detailed 
information  on  projects  requiring  EIAs  and  SEAs 
(environmental 
strategic 
environmental  assessments).  The  database  contains 
technical  background  and  documentation,  which  allows 
the public to analyse the projects in detail. The portal is 
accessible  in  English  and  Italian  and  is  recognised  as  an 
example of EU best practice.  

impact  assessments  and 

However,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  regions  (Emilia-
Romagna,  Lombardy),  user-friendly  databases  of  this 
type are not widespread at the regional level for EIA and 
SEA procedures. 

Figure  25:  Access  to  spatial  data  through  view  and 
download services in Italy (2017)  

261 INSPIRE monitoring dashboard 
262 European Commission, List of high value spatial data sets  

37 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Public participation 

In  Italy,  public  participation  is  regulated  not  only  by 
general provisions (law on administrative proceedings, n. 
241/1990),  but  also  by  sectoral  environmental  ones 
which  include  stronger  rules  on  public  participation  as 
compared to the general ones. The Italian Environmental 
Code  includes  provisions  in  relation  to  environmental 
industrial  permits.  Other 
assessments  (EIA/SEA)  and 
sectoral  provisions  exist  in  water  and  nature  legislation 
but no overarching regulatory approach was identified.  

However,  this  cannot  replace  structured  and  user-
friendly 
line,  from  public 
authorities.  

information,  available  on 

Access to justice in  environmental matters (as well as in 
most  administrative  matters) 
is  granted  to  those 
individuals or entities on the basis of a claim of harm to 
their legitimate interest. This requirement does not apply 
to the environmental NGOs accredited with the Ministry 
of  Environment  under  the  meaning  of  Article  13  of  Law 
no. 349 of 1986. 

the 

involve 

interested 

local  population 

The  Italian  government  and  local  authorities,  normally, 
do not use procedures other than those required by law 
to 
in 
environmental  issues.  In  exceptional  cases,  due  to  the 
strong popular protests, an Observatory has been set up 
that  mainly  involves  local  authorities  and  only  indirectly 
the affected populations. On other hand, the Ministry of 
local  projects  to 
Public  Administration  encourages 
involve  citizens 
In 
particular,  the  Ministry  supports  citizens'  evaluation  of 
services;  promotes  participatory  budgeting  initiatives; 
favors  the  inclusion  of  stakeholders  in  decision-making 
processes, including through e-democracy initiatives. 

in  administrative  decisions263. 

is  a 

relatively  strong  agreement 

The Eurobarometer figures from 2017 show that in Italy, 
(89%  of 
there 
respondents)  that  an 
in 
protecting  the  environment  which  is  a  slight  increase 
compared to 2014.  

individual  can  play  a  role 

in 

the  State 

According to Article 311 of the Environmental Code, only 
the Ministry of the Environment can bring environmental 
damage claims. The Constitutional Court has upheld this 
legislative  choice,  by  affirming  that,  in  the  light  of  the 
exclusive  competence  of 
regulating 
environmental  matters  established  by  Article  117 
Constitution,  the  State  itself  is  entrusted,  through  the 
Ministry  of  Environment,  as  the  sole  entity  vested  with 
the legitimatio ad causam needed to claim compensation 
for  environmental  damage.  Thus,  individuals  and  NGOs 
do  not  have  an  autonomous  legal  standing  in  this 
respect.  However, 
(Corte  di 
Cassazione) in a number of decisions has stated that  the 
fact  or  event  which  causes  environmental  damage  may 
cause other damages to primary rights such as the health 
and safety of the people or to property. Therefore, these 
damages  can  be  claimed  by  individuals  and  NGOs,  even 
those not recognised at a national level.  

the  Supreme  Court 

Italy  applies  in  civil  and  administrative  procedures  the 
loser  pays  principle.  However,  it  is  uncommon  that  an 
administrative  court  condemned  public  agencies  to 
significant reimbursement of legal expenses, even in the 
case  of  victory  of  the  claiming  party.  With  regard  to 
financial  barriers  to  access  to  justice  in  environmental 
matters, for the time being, no specific barrier has to be 
reported.  

2019 priority actions 

 

Improve  access  to  spatial  data  and  services  by 
linkages  between  the  country 
making  stronger 
INSPIRE  portals  ,  identify  and  document  all  spatial 
datasets  required  to  implement  environmental  law, 
and  make  the  data  and  documentation  at  least 
accessible  'as  is'  to  other  public  authorities  and  the 
public  through  the  digital  services  envisaged  in  the 
INSPIRE Directive. 

  Better inform the public about their access to justice 
rights, notably in relation to air pollution and nature. 

submits 
The  Ministry  of  Environment 
programme  documents  and  draft  bills 
for  public 
consultation,  such  as  on  the  National  Strategy  for 
Sustainable Development and on the and on the circular 
economy in 2017 (mentioned elsewhere in this report). 

regularly 

The Italian government has proposed to further increase 
transparency  and  the  participation  of  the  general  public 
in  environmental  assessment  procedures  for  example 
through the previously cited CReIAMO project264. 

Access to justice 

Significant  progress  is  needed  to  inform  the  general 
individuals  and 
public  about  effective  remedies  for 
environmental  associations  for  access  to 
in 
justice 
environmental  matters  under  Italian  and  EU  law.  This 
could  be  ensured,  for  instance,  by  a  detailed  guideline 
with practical information on how to take practical steps. 
Moreover,  the  current  information  is  limited  and  not 
user-friendly.  Some  practical  information  is  available  in 
the  website  of  an  important  NGO  (Legambiente)265. 

263 Italian government, A quality administration.  
264 Ministry of Environment, Speech of Minister Costa, 5.7.2018; 
Workshop 20.09.2018. 
265Legambiente (2013) Strumenti per la Tutela degli interessi diffusi. 

38 

                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Compliance assurance  

to  ensure 

Environmental compliance assurance covers all the work 
that 
undertaken  by  public  authorities 
industries,  farmers  and  others  fulfil  their  obligations  to 
protect  water,  air  and  nature,  and  manage  waste266.  It 
includes  support  measures  provided  by  the  authorities, 
such as:  
(i) compliance promotion267;  
(ii) inspections and other checks that they carry out, i.e. 
compliance monitoring268; and  
(iii)  the  steps  that  they  take  to  stop  breaches,  impose 
sanctions  and  require  damage  to  be  remedied,  i.e. 
enforcement269.  
Citizen  science  and  complaints  enable  authorities  to 
liability270 
focus  their  efforts  better.  Environmental 
ensures that the polluter pays to remedy any damage. 

Compliance promotion and monitoring  

The  quality  of  online  information  to  farmers  on  how  to 
comply  with  obligations  on  nitrates  and  nature  is  an 
indicator of how actively authorities promote compliance 
in  subject-areas  with  serious  implementation  gaps.  The 
official  websites  of  the  relevant  Italian  authorities  lack 
(with some exceptions in individual regions271) structured 
detailed information for farmers on how to comply with 
these obligations.  

Major  industrial  installations  present  serious  pollution 
risks.  Public  authorities  are  required  to  have  plans  to 
inspect  them  and  to  make  individual  inspection  reports 
available to the public272. In Italy, the National Inspection 
Plan for IPPC-IED plants is published online in the ARPA273 
website274.  The  information  concerning  the  number  and 
results 
the  permits  and 
administrative  sanctions  imposed)  of  inspections  (both 
planned and extraordinary ones) performed by ISPRA and 
ARPAs with regard to all plants holding IPPC permits are 
provided  online  in  the  yearly  ISPRA  Report  on  the 
inspections performed under Article 29-decies, para 3, of 

(including  violation  of 

266 The concept is explained in detail in the Communication on ‘EU 
actions to improve environmental compliance and governance’ 
COM(2018)10 and the related Commission Staff Working Document, 
SWD(2018)10. 
267 This EIR focuses on the help given to farmers to comply with nature 
and nitrates legislation. 
268 This EIR focuses on inspections of major industrial installations. 
269This EIR focuses on the availability of enforcement data and co-
ordination between authorities to tackle environmental crime. 
270 The Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC, creates the 
framework. 
271 e.g. Lombardy Region, Piedmont Region.;  
272 Article 23, Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU. 
273 Regional environmental protection agencies (Agenzie regionali per 
la protezione ambientale). 
274 ISPRA 2018, Programmazione Controlli Statali AIA  

Legislative  Decree  No  152/2006275.  The  latest  report  for 
in  April  2018276.  No  sufficient 
2017  was  released 
information was found online on the number and range 
of complaints received by inspection authorities.  

Citizen science and complaint handling 

For  the  moment  numerous  complaints  relating  to  the 
environment  are  received  by  the  Commission.  This 
indicates that complaint  handling at national level  could 
be improved.  

(compliance)  monitoring 

Engagement of citizens, including through citizen science, 
can deepen knowledge about the environment and help 
the  authorities  in  their  work.  The  added  value  of  use  of 
citizen  science  as  well  as  earth  observation  tools  for 
environmental 
is  well 
recognised in Italy277. The state of the art concerning the 
employment  of  citizen  science  was  discussed  during  the 
‘First  Italian  Citizen  Science  Conference  2017’  organised 
by  the  National  Science  Academy  and  held  at  the 
in  Rome  on  23-25 
National  Council  of  Research 
November  2017278.  Another  international  congress  on 
the topic was held in Venice279. 

The availability of clear online information about how to 
make  a  complaint  is  an  indicator  of  how  responsive 
authorities  are  to  complaints  from  the  public.  In  Italy, 
such online information on to whom and how to submit a 
complaint 
or 
environmental damage can be found online and is often 
provided  in  the  form  of  frequently  asked  questions 
(FAQ)280.  

environmental 

nuisance 

about 

Enforcement 

la 

Tutela 

identifies  problems,  a  range  of 
When  monitoring 
responses  may  be  appropriate.  The 
specialised 
environmental  unit  of  the  Italian  Carabinieri  (Comando 
Unità  per 
e 
Agroalimentare  Carabinieri)  publishes  a  yearly  report  of 
their  environmental  control,  follow-up  and  enforcement 
activities281. However, no structured statistics were found 
on prosecution and court cases related to environmental 
crime,  and  the  information  available  does  not  allow 
conclusions  on  the  effectiveness  of  sanctions  and  the 

Forestale,  Ambientale 

275 ISPRA 2017 Autorizzazione Integrata Ambientale Attività di controllo 
(Art. 29-decies, comma 3 del D.Lgs. 152/2006,. The full report of each 
inspection – not published therein - is sent by ISPRA to the Ministry of 
Environment. 
276 ISPRA 2017 Autorizzazione Integrata Ambientale Attività di controllo 
(Art. 29-decies, comma 3 del D.Lgs. 152/2006,. 
277 See for detailed information at: ARPAT Toscana .  
278 First Italian Citizen Science Conference. 
. 
279 Ministry of Environment, Press Release  23.11.2018 
280 See for instance at ISPRA.  
281 Ministry of Environment, checks made by the Carabinieri for 
Environmetnal Protection .  

39 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

achievement of compliance after follow-up measures and 
enforcement  action  has  been  taken.  Information  on 
responses  to  cross-compliance  breaches  on  nitrates  and 
nature 
lacking  but  some  Italian  regions  provide 
guidelines  for  enforcers  on  administrative  sanctions  for 
breaches related to the Nitrate Directive282.  

is 

framework  exists 

Tackling  waste,  wildlife  and  other  environmental  crimes 
is  especially  challenging  and  requires  close  co-operation 
and  co-ordination  arrangements  between  inspectors, 
customs  authorities,  police  and  prosecutors.  A  robust 
legal 
concerning  exchange  of 
information  between  relevant  competent  authorities.  In 
2016,  the  National  Network  for  Protection  of  the 
Environment  was  established  to  coordinate,  inter  alia, 
control  activities  of 
ISPRA  and  regional  agencies. 
However,  no  information  could  be  identified  on  official 
websites  on  formal  cooperation  mechanisms  between 
inspectors  and  other 
the 
enforcement chain.  

relevant  actors  along 

Environmental liability 

The  Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  establishes  a 
framework  based  on  the  ‘polluter  pays’  principle  to 
prevent  and  remedy  environmental  damage.  The  2017 
EIR  focused  on  better  information  on  environmental 
damage, financial security and guidance. The Commission 
is still collecting evidence on progress made.  

2019 priority actions 

  Better 

inform 

the  public  about 

compliance 
promotion,  monitoring  and  enforcement  by  at  least 
ensuring  availability  of  structured  and  easily 
accessible  online  information  to  farmers  about  how 
to  comply  with  obligations  on  nitrates  and  nature, 
and  providing  more  online  information  on  plans  for 
industrial inspections 
Publish  information  on  outcomes  of  enforcement 
action  and  of  the  follow-up  to  detected  cross-
compliance breaches on nitrates and nature. 
Improve  financial  security  for  liabilities  and  ELD-
guidance and publish information on environmental 
damage. 

 

 

Effectiveness of environmental 
administrations 

in 

involved 

implementing 

environmental 
Those 
legislation at EU, national, regional and local levels need 
to have the knowledge, tools and capacity to ensure that 
the  legislation  and  the  governance  of  the  enforcement 
process bring about the intended benefits. 

Administrative capacity and quality 

that 

Italy 

improve 

Commission 

adopted 
country-specific 
The 
in  2015,  2016  and  2017, 
recommendations  (CSRs) 
recommending 
institutional 
its 
framework and  modernise its public administration.  The 
government passed a law in August 2015 to improve the 
public  administration,  and  various  decrees  have  been 
adopted over the last three years to implement the law. 
These  decrees  can  have 
influence  for  the 
environment.  In  the  context  of  the  Interregional  Study 
and Documents Centre CINSEDO283 EIR seminar series,  a 
wide-ranging analysis was made of the CSRs to see how 
they relate to individual policy areas284. The regions and 
autonomous  provinces  also  played  a  key  role  in  the 
preparation  of  the  national  reform  programme,  and 
argued  strongly  for 
including  the  UN's  sustainable 
development  goals  (SDGs)  in  the  final  draft  of  the 
programme285. 

indirect 

The 2018 national reform programme introduced for the 
first  time  an  indicator  showing  the  level  of  progress  on 
reforms  undertaken  by  the  government,  the  CRPI 
Indicator)286. 
(Competitiveness  Relevance  Progress 
Implementation  of  environmental  law  is  not  one  of  the 
areas explicitly covered by this index. 

The 2017 EIR report  examined extensively the  efficiency 
of environmental administration, so only a few points are 
reiterated in this edition. 

reinforcement  plans287 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  Italy  has  regional  (and 
national)  administrative 
to 
improve implementation of ESIF projects. The decision to 
create  administrative  reinforcement  plans  was  partly  a 
reaction 
country-specific 
recommendation288.  The  administrative  reinforcement 
plans  also  cover  non-ESIF  administrative  capacity-
building,  and  should  lead  to  a  reform  of  the  public 
administration  and 
reinforcement  of  management 
structures.  The  national  operational  programme  on 

2015 

the 

to 

282 See for instance, Regione Lombardia, Linee guida in ordine alla 
applicazione delle sanzioni amministrative previste dall’art. 130 decies 
della legge regionale 31/2008 così come modificata ed integrata 
dall’art. 14 dalla legge regionale 7/2012.  

283 Centro Interregionale Studi e Documentazione 
284 C. Cellai, CINSEDO waste seminar, 20.4.2018. 
285 National Reform Programme 2018, p. 125. 
286 National Reform Programme 2018, p. 10. 
287 Programma Rafforzamento Amministrativa. 
288 Partnership Agreement 2014-20. 

40 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

‘governance  and  institutional  capacity’  for  2014-20  also 
provides  another  opportunity  to  improve  administrative 
capacity in the environmental sector. 

Reforms  to  the  governance  of  national  parks,  protected 
areas  and  waste  consortia  were  announced  in  the  2016 
national  reform  programme289.  These  reforms  have  yet 
to  be  completed290.  The  creation  of  the  hydrographic 
basins (distretti idrografici) was completed in 2016. 

The ISPRA report on its performance for 2015 shows that 
ISPRA had 1 270 employees at the end of 2015, of which 
1 153 were permanent and 117 temporary. At the end of 
2016,  the  Ministry  of  Environment  had  559  permanent 
employees  and  3 
temporary.  The  Ministry  of 
Environment is also supported by the technical assistance 
of  the  National  Research  Council  (CNR),  ISPRA  and 
Sogesid. 

The government is proposing to take steps to recruit new 
officials  to  the  Environment  Ministry  as  there  has  not 
been  an  entrance  competition  in  30  years.  A  ministerial 
decree  was signed to increase transparency on lobbying 
in  the  Environment  Ministry  on  1  August  2018291, 
introducing a public agenda of decision-makers, including 
the  Minister,  the  Undersecretaries,  the  Chief  of  Cabinet 
and  the  General  Directors,  to  be  published  on  the 
website. 

In terms of increasing transparency, a ministerial decree 
for  selecting 
has  been 
members  of  the  EIA/SEA  Technical  Commission 
in 
November 2018292. 

introducing  criteria 

issued 

Italy’s score in 2018 Environmental Performance Index is 
76.96  and  ranks  16  out  of  180293.  The  2017  European 
Quality of Government Index gave Italy an overall ranking 
of  -1.07811  (EU28  benchmark  =  0),  with  Calabria  at  -
2.27924  and  Bolzano  and  Trento  at  -0.233;  thus  all 
regions were below the EU average294. 

Coordination and integration 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR  Report,  the  transposition 
of the revised EIA Directive295 provides an opportunity to 
streamline  the  regulatory  framework  on  environmental 
assessments. Italy has completed the transposition of the 
EIA Directive by the deadline (May 2017).  

289 Programma Nazionale di Riforma 2016, April 2016, p. 58. 
290 National Reform Programme 2018, p. 138. 
291 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 01.08.2018 
292 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 13.11.2018. 
293 Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (2018), 2018 
Environmental Performance Index, Yale University, p. 4.  
294 European Commission, The 7th Report on Economic, Social and 
Territorial Cohesion, 2017, p. 140. 
295 Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of 
the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. 

41 

Together  with  the  adoption  of  the  2017  Italian  Energy 
Strategy  (SEN),  the  Italian  government  has  stated  the 
intention  to  set-up  of  a  special  Steering  Committee  to 
follow  the  implementation  of  the  SEN  and  improve 
coordination between different Ministries. The definition 
of  the  Italian  National  Energy  and  Climate  Plan  will  also 
improve  policy  coordination  of  national  administrations 
and enable to better explore synergies between different 
sectors.  

to 

to 

in  order 

applicable 

The  Commission  encourages  the  streamlining  of  the 
environmental  assessments 
reduce 
in  environmental 
duplication  and  avoid  overlaps 
assessments 
projects.  Moreover, 
streamlining  helps  reducing  unnecessary  administrative 
burden  and  accelerates  decision-making,  without 
the  environmental 
compromising 
assessment  procedure296. 
introduced  the 
streamlining  of  assessments  under  EIA  and  Habitats 
Directives. Coordination  of  procedures  exists  for  EIA, 
Water framework and Industrial Emissions Directives.  

the  quality  of 

Italy  has 

These 
integrated/coordinated  procedures  are  an 
example  of  best  practice.  Italy  is  also  looking  to  further 
increase efficiency on assessment procedures297 

The  national  ministries  dealing  with  the  environment 
(e.g. the Ministry of Environment) were described in the 
2017  EIR.  An  important  feature  of  Italy’s  constitution  is 
that  the  general  legislative  power  belongs  to  the  state 
and regions equally. 

The  National  System 
for  Environmental  Protection 
(‘Sistema  Nazionale  per  la  Protezione  dell’Ambiente’, 
SNPA)  coordinated  by  ISPRA298  provides  technical  and 
scientific  support  to  local,  regional  and  national  bodies 
that  work  in  environmental  administration.  SNPA  also 
collects, organises and disseminates environmental data. 

The SNPA Council provides binding opinions on technical 
measures  in  environmental  matters  adopted  by  the 
government.  And  in  June  2016,  regional  environmental 
agencies  have  been  tasked  with  ensuring  that  the 
regional  environmental  agencies  perform  their  work 
according  to  a  set  essential  uniform  technical  standards 
through  LEPTA 
(‘Livelli  essenziali  delle  prestazioni 
tecniche ambientali’) within SNPA. 

Another public national agency that cooperates with the 
Ministry of Environment is the Superior Health Institute, 
which  carries  out  epidemiological  assessments  and 
monitoring of contaminated sites of national interest for 

296 The Commission issued a guidance document in 2016 regarding the 
setting up of coordinated and/or joint procedures that are 
simultaneously subject to assessments under the EIA Directive, Habitats 
Directive, Water Framework Directive, and the Industrial Emissions 
Directive, OJ C 273, 27.7.2016, p. 1. 
297 Environment Ministry, technical meeting 25.05.2018. 
298 Istituto superiore per la protezione e la ricerca ambientale. 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

the period 2013-2015. The Ministry of Environment  also 
cooperates with universities which may include scientific 
support for the Ministry’s work. 

A  lack  of  co-ordination  appears  to  at  the  root  of  many 
environmental  issues  relating  to  waste  and  water,  but 
also to air. Focusing on these root causes would result in 
sustainable 
environmental 
implementation gaps. 

for  many 

solutions 

just  over  50  %  have  had  difficulties  with 
that 
environmental  procedures  (e.g.  EIAs).  Indeed,  a  lack  of 
administrative capacity in small municipalities can lead to 
difficulties in using EU funds for environmental purposes. 
The  ERDF  and  ESF  both  provide  technical  assistance  to 
help  countries  build  capacity  so  that  they  will  be  better 
able to use the funding they are allocated. 

2019 priority action 

There  are  examples  of  regional  good  practices  in  the 
fields of waste, air and water policies299. 

 

The government  has proposed to improve co-ordination 
between environment policy and other policy sectors. He 
cited  transport  policy  as  an  example,  and  suggested 
measures to make low-emission transport less expensive 
and  using  funds  from  carbon  auctions  to  finance  a  new 
sustainable transport programme for local authorities300.  

Italy  can  further  improve  its  overall  environmental 
governance 
citizens 
engagement,  compliance  and  enforcement,  as  well 
as administrative capacity and coordination). 

transparency, 

(such 

as 

  Continue to address the fragmented implementation 
of  environmental  policy  at  regional  and  local  levels 
by  developing  better  national-level  coordination 
mechanisms for the environment. 

Adaptability, 
(eGovernment) 

reform 

dynamics 

and 

innovation 

International agreements 

Italy  has  carried  out  several  reforms  in  recent  years 
aimed  to  increase  the  use  of  electronic  services  in 
government.  For  instance,  the  Public  System  for  Digital 
Identity  (‘Sistema  Pubblico  per  l’Identità  Digitale’)  has 
been  improved,  with  3 720  public  administrations  now 
participating, and further changes planned. 

For  digital  public  services,  Italy  scored  0.44/1  in  the 
Commission’s Europe’s Digital Progress Report 2017. This 
is lower than the EU-28 average of 0.55/1301. In the DESI 
Report 2018, Italy had a score of 53 out of 100 on digital 
public services, lower than the EU average of 58302. 

On ‘domestic adaptability’, Italy scored an 8 in the 2017 
sustainable  governance  indicators  (SGI)  project.  This 
means that, in many cases, the government has adapted 
domestic  government  structures  so  that  they  are  in  line 
with international and supranational standards303. 

Enabling financing and effective use of funds 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR, cohesion policy in Italy has 
suffered  from  three  main  problems:  fragmentation,  lack 
of  appropriate  administrative  capacity  and  weak  central 
control. The new National Cohesion  Agency was created 
to resolve these issues. 

For  the  ERDF  major  projects  2007-2013  that  are 
submitted for the Commission’s approval, it is estimated 

The  EU  Treaties  require  the  EU  environmental  policy  to 
promote  measures  at  international  level  to  deal  with 
regional or worldwide environmental problems. 

The EU is committed to strengthening environmental law 
and its implementation globally. It therefore continues to 
support  the  Global  Pact  for  the  Environment  process, 
which  was  launched  by  the  United  Nations  General 
Assembly  in  May  2018304.  The  EIR  is  one  of  the  tools  to 
ensure  that  the  Member  States  set  a  good  example  by 
respecting  European  Union  environmental  policies  and 
laws and international agreements.  

the  Offshore  Protocol  of 

As mentioned in the 2017 EIR, Italy has signed but not yet 
ratified: 
the  Barcelona 
Convention305;  the  Protocol  on  Integrated  Coastal  Zone 
Management; two agreements under the Convention on 
Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (the Gothenburg 
Protocol  to  Abate  Acidification,  Eutrophication  and 
Ground-level Ozone; and the Heavy Metals Protocol); the 
Stockholm  Convention  on  Persistent  Organic  Pollutants; 
the  Kiev  Protocol  on  Pollutant  Release  and  Transfer 
Registers; the Nagoya Protocol306. 

New  problems  have 
Italy’s 
also 
administrative  framework  for  dealing  with  the  trade  in 
tropical  timber,  genetic  resources  and  wildlife.  These 
three issues are discussed in more detail below. 

emerged 

in 

299 CINSEDO waste seminar 20.4.2018. air 6.7.2018 & water seminars, 
5.10.2018. 
300 Ministry of Environment, Speech of Minister Costa, 5.7.2018. 
301 European Commission, 2017 Europe’s Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 
2017 Country Profile Italy, p. 11. 
302 European Commission, Digital Economy and Society Index Report 
2018, Digital Public Services. 
303 Sustainable Governance Indicators. 

304 UN General Assembly Resolution 72/277 and Organizational session 
of the ad hoc open-ended working group.  
305 Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against 
Pollution Resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental 
Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil. 
306 Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable 
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation to the Convention on 
Biological Diversity. 

42 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

Forests:  EU  Timber  Regulation  (EUTR)307/  Forest  Law 
Enforcement,  Governance 
(FLEGT) 
Regulation308 

Trade 

and 

In  Italy,  the  small  amount  of  customs  data  available 
makes it difficult for competent authorities to build up a 
solid risk-based inspection system. So far, Italy has issued 
16 administrative sanctions against businesses importing 
timber  that  infringed  their  obligations  under  the  EUTR. 
These infringements covered areas such as a lack of due 
diligence  by  businesses,  a  lack  of  traceability  in  the 
timber  they  bought,  or  dealing  in  prohibited  types  of 
timber. Italy has reported collaborating with government 
institutions  in  other  countries,  in  particular  national 
customs services. Italy is also involved in the set-up of a 
Mediterranean network on EUTR implementation. 

Italian  experts  participated  in  a  TAIEX-EIR  PEER  2  PEER 
workshop in order to strengthen cooperation among the 
from  eight  Mediterranean 
competent  authorities 
Member 
harmonise 
and 
improve 
to 
implementation of the EUTR 5-6 June 2018. 

States 

Genetic  resources:  Nagoya  Protocol  on  Access  to 
Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of 
Benefits Arising (ABS)309 

Italy has identified its competent authorities responsible 
for 
implementing  EU  rules  on  the  use  of  genetic 
resources.  However,  Italy  has  still  not  adopted  a  formal 
act  to  designate  these  authorities.  Italy  has  also  not  yet 
laid down rules for penalties. 

International  wildlife 
the  Convention  on 
trade: 
International  Trade  in  Endangered  Species  of  Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES)310 

Italy  has  set  up  relevant  national  authorities  to  fulfil  its 
obligations under the CITES treaty. Reports testify to the 
activity of customs authorities. 

2019 priority action 

 

Increase  efforts  to  be  party  to  relevant  multilateral 
environmental  agreements,  by  signing  and  ratifying 
the remaining agreements. 

Sustainable 
implementation of the UN SDGs 

development 

and 

the 

Sustainable development links environmental, social and 
economic policies in a coherent framework and therefore 
helps  to 
legislation  and 
policies. 

implement  environmental 

for 

Committee 

Interministerial 

The  Italian  national  sustainable  development  strategy 
(NSDS)  2017-2030  was  approved  by  the  Council  of 
Ministers  in  October  2017  and  definitively  adopted  by 
the 
Economic 
Programming  (CIPE)311  in  late  December  of  the  same 
year312  313.  Within  12  months  of  the  CIPE  decision,  the 
regions  must  be  equipped  with  comprehensive  regional 
sustainable  development  strategies  coherent  with  the 
national  strategy.  The  Ministry  of  Environment,  through 
the allocation of financial resources and the provision of 
technical assistance, is supporting the regions in drafting 
their strategies, in strengthening regional governance, in 
enhancing civil society participation and in the follow up, 
monitoring  and  review  process.  The  NSDS  also  provided 
the  basis  for  the  presentation  of  the  Voluntary  National 
Review (VNR) of Italy on the implementation of the goals 
and  targets  of  the  2030  to  the  UN  High  Level  Political 
Forum in 2017314. The preparatory process leading to the 
development of the NSDS and to the VNR involved a wide 
range of stakeholders, more than 200 NGOs, national and 
regional authorities as well as universities, academia and 
sectors.  Public  national  administrations 
research 
cooperated  throughout  the  process  to  set  shared 
National  Strategic  Choices  and  Objectives,  as  well  as  to 
identify viable and existing means of implementation. 

A dedicated action plan providing for quantified strategic 
objectives  in  sustainable  development  was  expected  for 
2017  but  has  not  yet  been  adopted.  A  National 
Commission 
Sustainable  Development  was 
established on 16 March 2018.  

for 

Italian  Alliance 

for  Sustainable  Development 
The 
publishes  annual  reports  on 
in 
achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) with 
their latest report issued on 4 October 2018315.  

Italy’s  performance 

307 Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 20 October 2010 
308 Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 of 20 December 2005 on the 
establishment of a FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into 
the European Community. 
309 Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 16 April 2014 on compliance measures for users from the 
Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and 
Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation in the Union 
Text with EEA relevance. 
310 The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 

The  Rete  is  being  used  as  a  forum  to  discuss  the 
contribution of cohesion policy to the NSDS316. 

The  Environment  Act  plans  to  update  the  NSDS  every 
three  years  as  the  strategic  reference  framework  aimed 
in 
at  fully 

integrate  the  environmental  dimension 

311 Comitato interministeriale per la programmazione economica 
312 Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development Strategy, 2017. 
313 National Reform Programme 2018, pp.12-14, pp.112-113. 
314 Ministry of Environment, Voluntary National Review Italy National 
Sustainable Development Strategy, 2017. 
315 Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development. 
316 Ministry of Environment, Rete Plenary 5.3.2018. 

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Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy 

decision and policy making processes. It should be noted 
that  there  is  no  environmental  action  plan  at  national 
level, although environmental action plans exist in some 
regions317.As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  Italy  has  taken 
steps  to  include  environmental  concerns  in  budgetary 
issues  by  creating  the  BES318  indicator  system.  The 
Ministry  of  Economy  and  Finance 
is  tasked  with 
producing an annual analysis reporting back to the Italian 
parliament  by  15 February  each  year319.  BES  was 
identified in the 2018 European Semester country report 
for Italy as best practice320.  

317 European Environment Agency, More from less — material resource 
efficiency in Europe. 2015 overview of policies, instruments and targets 
in 32 countries, 2016, Italy report, p. 9. 
318 from the Italian ‘Benessere equo e sostenible’ or 'Wellbeing, Equal 
and Sustainable. 
319 Documento di economia e finanza 2017 
320 ISTAT BES report. 

44