COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Environmental Implementation Review 2022 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 2022: Turning the tide through environmental compliance
Date: 2022-09-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Italy, application of EU law, biodiversity, circular economy, climate change policy, environmental law, governance, pollution control measures, waste management

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 8.9.2022  SWD(2022) 275 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Environmental Implementation Review 2022      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 2022: Turning the tide through environmental compliance {COM(2022) 438 final} - {SWD(2022) 252 final} - {SWD(2022) 253 final} - {SWD(2022) 254 final} - {SWD(2022) 255 final} - {SWD(2022) 256 final} - {SWD(2022) 257 final} - {SWD(2022) 258 final} - {SWD(2022) 259 final} - {SWD(2022) 260 final} - {SWD(2022) 261 final} - {SWD(2022) 262 final} - {SWD(2022) 263 final} - {SWD(2022) 264 final} - {SWD(2022) 265 final} - {SWD(2022) 266 final} - {SWD(2022) 267 final} - {SWD(2022) 268 final} - {SWD(2022) 269 final} - {SWD(2022) 270 final} - {SWD(2022) 271 final} - {SWD(2022) 272 final} - {SWD(2022) 273 final} - {SWD(2022) 274 final} - {SWD(2022) 276 final} - {SWD(2022) 277 final} - {SWD(2022) 278 final}  
 
 
Italy  1 

This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European  Commission. 
Any comments are welcome to the following e-mail address: ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu  

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Photographs:  

For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder. 

©European Union, 2022 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Italy  2 

Table of Content 

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

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

1. CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 4 
Measures towards a circular economy ................................................................................................................ 4 
Waste management ............................................................................................................................................. 6 
2. BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL CAPITAL ........................................................................................................................... 10 
Nature protection and restoration ..................................................................................................................... 10 
Marine ecosystems............................................................................................................................................. 16 
Ecosystem assessment and accounting ............................................................................................................. 18 
3. ZERO POLLUTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 
Clean air ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 
Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................................ 21 
Major industrial accidents prevention – SEVESO ............................................................................................... 24 
Noise .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 
Water quality and management ........................................................................................................................ 25 
Chemicals ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 
4. CLIMATE ACTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 
Key national climate policies and strategies ...................................................................................................... 31 
Effort sharing target ........................................................................................................................................... 31 
Key sectoral developments ................................................................................................................................. 32 
Use of revenues from the auctioning of EU ETS allowances .............................................................................. 33 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS .............................................................................. 34 

5.  FINANCING ............................................................................................................................................................ 34 
Environmental investment needs in the European Union .................................................................................. 34 
EU environmental funding 2014-2020 ............................................................................................................... 36 
EU environmental funding 2021-2027 ............................................................................................................... 37 
National environmental protection expenditure ................................................................................................ 39 
Green budget tools ............................................................................................................................................. 41 
Overall financing compared to the needs .......................................................................................................... 44 
6. ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................................. 45 
Information, public participation and access to justice...................................................................................... 45 
Compliance assurance ........................................................................................................................................ 46 
Effectiveness of environmental administrations ................................................................................................ 48 
Reforms through the Commission’s technical support instrument (TSI) ............................................................ 50 
TAIEX EIR peer to peer projects .......................................................................................................................... 50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Executive summary 

Italy  3 

In  previous  Environmental 
Implementation  Reviews 
(EIRs),  the  main  challenges  identified  for  Italy  for  the 
implementation of EU environmental policy and law were 
to: 

 

 

landfilling  and 

improve  municipal  waste  management,  in  particular 
increasing  separate 
by  reducing 
collection of waste in southern regions; 
improve  urban  wastewater  treatment  by  making 
investments in these facilities;  

  reduce  particulate  matter  (PM10  and  PM2.5)  and 
nitrogen  dioxide  (NO2)  emissions  by  reducing  traffic 
congestion and biomass burning;  

  designate the remaining Natura 2000  marine  sites as 
special  areas  of  conservation  (SACs),  set  and  meet  
site-specific  conservation  objectives  and  ensure  the 
network is effectively managed; 
improve  the  efficiency  with  which  environmental 
financing is implemented. 

 

Despite  some  progress  made 
in  recent  years  on 
municipal waste management, in particular with a steady 
and consistent increase in recycling and composting,  the 
waste sector in Italy still has significant shortcomings, as 
illustrated  by  several  infringement  procedures  against 
Italy. These include the ’landfill case’ and the ’Campania 
case’ subject to fines levied by the Court of Justice of the 
European Union (CJEU). More action is needed to ensure 
that  waste  disposal  in  Italy  is  carried  out  in  compliance 
with  EU  law.  The  recovery  and  resilience  plan  (RRP) 
brings 
important  reforms  with  a  national  circular 
economy  strategy  and  a  national  waste  management 
programme,  plus  flagship  recycling  investments  that  are 
expected  to  improve  implementation  of  environmental 
norms on the ground. 

On  the  Natura  2000  network,  some  marine  SACs  still 
need  to  be  designated.  The  conservation  status  of 
habitats  and  species  of  EU 
interest  must  also  be 
improved  by  fully  implementing  Natura  2000,  using 
regional prioritised action frameworks to better integrate 
EU  funds,  and  planning  investments  more  strategically. 
There are insufficient funds for biodiversity in the RRP to 
cover  the  needs;  thus  the  shortfall  must  be  made  up 
from other EU funds and national sources. 

Italy  has  had  advanced  practices  for  natural  capital, 
environmental accounting and well-being indicators  for 
many  years,  which  are  now  bolstered  through  support 

from the Commission’s technical support instrument and 
the EIR peer to peer tool. 

limited  progress 

On  air  quality,  Italy  has  made 
in 
reducing  emissions  as  a  whole,  despite  agreements 
between the national and regional governments in the Po 
Valley, an EU Clean Air Dialogue on 3-5 June 2019 and a 
high profile LIFE integrated project (PREPAIR). Substantial 
exceedances  of  the  limit  values  for  both  PM10    and  NO2 
continued in 2020. Around 20% of the RRP is allocated to 
measures on sustainable energy and transport which will 
improve air quality. Progress can also be made through a 
broader tax-shift from labour to environmental and other 
tax  bases, 
the  gradual  elimination  of 
including 
environmentally-harmful subsidies.  

On  water  management,  Italy  has  made  limited  progress 
in reducing the number of non-compliant agglomerations 
under the Urban Waste Water Treatment  Directive  with 
the  CJEU.  More 
imposed  by 
financial  penalties 
investments  are  needed  to  achieve  progress.  Nitrates 
hotspots also need to be cleaned up in northern Italy and 
drinking  water  quality  must  be  improved  in  Lazio.  The 
RRP  will  support  significant  investments  in  land-use 
planning  (to  reduce  soil  sealing),  flood  control,  reducing 
leakage  and  investing  in  urban  wastewater  treatment. 
High water consumption is a concern in southern regions, 
from  agriculture.  Furthermore,  several 
particularly 
marine descriptors are in a poor or very poor state. 

policy 

Italy’s 

EU financing continues to provide substantial support  to 
reduce the gap in environmental implementation. Italy is 
due  to  receive  over  EUR  190  billion  from  its  RRP  (2021-
2026)  in  grants  and  loans  and  EUR  42  billion  from 
cohesion 
overall 
(2021-2027). 
environmental  financing  for  investments  is  estimated  to 
reach  0.48%  of  GDP  a  year  (less  than  the EU  average  of 
0.7%)  in  2014-2020,  with  80%  coming  from  national 
sources. Overall environmental investment needs for the 
coming  period  are  estimated  to  reach  at  least  0.67%  of 
Italy’s  GDP  a  year,  suggesting  an  environmental 
investment gap of over 0.19% of GDP to be addressed by 
focusing on the country’s environmental implementation 
priorities.  Italy  has  improved  its  capacity  to  absorp  EU 
funds  for  environmental  measures  except  in  Sicily  and 
Calabria. Total  fines related to waste and water issued by 
the CJEU have exceeded EUR 620 million since 2015. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
Part I: Thematic areas 

1. Circular economy and waste management

Italy  4 

Figure 1  – Circular material use rate (%), 2010-20202  

Measures towards a circular economy 

The new Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in March 
2020  is  one  of  the  main  building  blocks  of  the  European 
Green Deal. The EU’s transition to a circular economy will 
reduce  pressure  on  natural  resources  and  will  create 
sustainable  growth  and  jobs.  It  is  also  a  prerequisite  to 
achieve  the  EU’s  2050  climate  neutrality  target  and  to 
halt  biodiversity 
loss.  The  Action  Plan  announces 
initiatives along the entire life cycle of products, aiming to 
reduce the EU's consumption footprint and to double the 
EU's  circular  material  use  rate  by  2030.  It  targets  how 
products  are  designed,  promotes  circular  economy 
processes,  encourages  sustainable  consumption,  and 
aims to ensure that waste is prevented and the resources 
used are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible.   

The  circular  material  use  rate  is  a  good  indicator  of  an 
economy’s circularity, as it includes all the materials that 
into  our  economy.  There  are  major  
are  fed  back 
differences  in  the  circularity  rate  between  EU  countries. 
To  help  achieve  the  EU  circular  economy  action  plan’s 
goal of doubling the EU circular material use rate by 2030, 
ambitious measures targeting the whole product life cycle 
are needed at Member State level. Such measures range 
from  sustainable  product  design 
the 
durability,  reparability,  upgradability  and  recyclability  of 
products,  to  other  measures  such  as  remanufacturing1, 
increasing 
in  production  processes, 
recycling,  boosting  eco-innovation  and  increasing  the 
uptake of green public procurement. 

the  circularity 

increase 

to 

Italy’s  circular  (secondary)  use  of  material  was  17.1%  in 
2017  and  21.6%  in  2020,  way  above  the  EU  average  of 
12.8%, as shown in Figure 1. It also demonstrates a steady 
increase in secondary material usage over recent years in 
the country. 

Resource  productivity  expresses  how  efficiently  the 
economy  uses  material  resources  to  produce  wealth. 
Improving  resource  productivity  can  help  minimise  the 
negative 
impacts  on  the  environment  and  reduce 
dependency  on  volatile  raw  material  markets.  As  shown 
in  Figure  2,  with  EUR  3.54  generated  per  kg  of  material 
consumed  in  2020,  resource  productivity  in  Italy  is  well 
above  the  EU  average  of  EUR  2.09  per  kg.  This  positive 
performance comes on the back of a continuous increase 
in Italy’s resource productivity over the last decade. 

1  a  standardized  industrial  process  that  takes  place  within 
industrial  or  factory  settings,  in  which  cores  are  restored  to 
original as-new condition and performance or better. 

2 Eurostat, Circular Economy Monitoring Framework.  

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
Figure 2: Resource productivity 2010-20203 

Circular economy strategies 

The Commission encourages Member States to adopt and 
implement  national/regional  circular  economy  strategies 
covering the whole life cycle of products. This is because 
such  strategies  are  one  of  the  most  effective  ways  to 
progress  towards  a  more  circular  economy.  Since  the 
launch of the online Circular Economy Platform in 20174, 
national,  regional  or  local  authorities  have  used  the 
platform to share their strategies and roadmaps. 

With regard to the country’s circular economy strategy, as 
part  of  the  recovery  and  resilience  plan’s  reforms  (RRP), 
Italy  adopted  in  June  2022  a  new  national  strategy  for 
circular  economy5,  which  is  expected  to  cover  the  entire 
lifecycle of products. The strategy includes action to help 
create  a  new  digital  waste  traceability  system,  tax 
incentives to support recycling  and the use of secondary 
raw materials, revision of environmental taxation, right to 
reuse  and  repair,  reform  of  the  extended  producer 
responsibility  and  consortia  system,  support  for  existing 
regulatory tools, and support for the industrial symbiosis 
project through regulatory and financial instruments. 

Italy  5 

Italy has a national circular economy network and held a 
fourth annual conference on 5 April 20226. 

Italy    also    adopted  in  June  2022  a  national  programme 
for  waste  management  (PNGR)  with  the  intention  of 
providing  technical  support  to  local  authorities  by  the 
government to implement the environmental regulations 
and to draw up plans and projects on waste management. 
Finally,  it  intends  to  fund  flagship  projects,  including  on 
the circular economy. In 2021, the Commission’s technical 
support instrument is supporting a project on the circular 
economy in Italy. 

Italy  does  not  have  a  specific  sectorial  strategy  for 
plastics,  textiles  or  construction,  although  some  are 
addressed by the RRP flagship projects. mentioned above.  

Many  LIFE  projects  in  Italy  bear  on  examples  of  circular 
economy;  some  of  these  were  showcased  during  the 
2019  GreenWeek:  one  is  on  recycled  football  stadium 
seats  in  Pontedera  and  the  Stadio  Olimpico  (Rome) 
appropriately named TACKLE7. An innovative partnership 
has been established for waste management for the City 
of Rome in 20228. 

Eco-innovation 

A  successful  transition  to  a  circular  economy  requires 
social  and  technological  innovation.  This  is  because  the 
full potential of the circular economy can only be reached 
when  it  is  implemented  across  all  value  chains.    Eco-
innovation is an important enabling factor for the circular 
economy.  New  approaches  to  product  design  and  new 
business  models  can  help  produce  systemic  circularity 
innovations, creating new business opportunities. 

In  2021,  Italy  ranked  10th  on  the  2021  Eco-Innovation 
scoreboard,  with  a  total  score  of  124,  resulting  in  an 
average  eco-innovation  performance  (Figure  3).  In  two 
out  of  five  areas  ,  namely  eco-innovation  activities  and 
resource  efficiency  outcomes,  Italy  performed  above  the 
EU  average.  It  performed  below  the  EU  average  on  eco-
innovation  inputs,  eco  innovation  outputs,  and  socio-
economic  outcomes.  One  problem  facing  the  Italian 
economy  is  that  it  has  few  domestic  natural  resources, 
and the cost  of imported  raw materials and their impact 
on the final cost of products is high.  The EIR 2019 had a 
increase  the  risk  capital  for  eco-
priority  action  to 
in  SMEs.  Awareness  of  environmental 
innovation 
increases  with  company  size,  with  for 
sustainability 
instance,  91%  of  firms  with  50  or  more  employees 
separating  their  waste  collection,  71%  of  companies 

3  Eurostat, Resource productivity 
4  Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform 
5  National Circular Economy Strategy 

6 Circular Economy Network 
7 LIFE Tackle 
8 Green Pact for Rome, April 2022 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Italy  6 

monitoring  energy  use  and  56%  monitoring  water 
use9.The  ”Transition  4.0“  initiative  within  the  RRP  offers 
incentives,  including  risk  capital,  to  support  the  circular 
economy  investments  of  companies  .  This  means  that 
some  progress  has  been  made  on  the  2019  priority 
action. 

part  of the national  strategy  for  circular  economy.  There 
are  also  activities  at  regional  level11.  On  21  June  2019, 
Italy  (CONSIP)  organised  an  EIR  peer  to  peer  event  on 
circular  purchasing  and  participated  at  another  event  on 
models of communication on the value of ecolabels on 21 
October 2020 (in Croatia)12. 

Figure 3 – Eco-innovation performance, 2010-201910  

EU Ecolabel and the eco management and audit scheme 
(EMAS) 

The number of EU Ecolabel products and EMAS-licensed13 
organisations in a given country provides some indication 
of  the  extent  to  which  the  private  sector  and  national 
stakeholders  in  that  country  are  actively  engaged  in  the 
transition  to  a  circular  economy.  It  also  shows  how 
supporting 
committed  public  authorities  are 
instruments designed to promote the circular economy. 

to 

As  of  September  2021,  Italy  had  13  181  products  out  of 
83 590, and 301 licences out of 2 057, registered in the EU 
Ecolabel  scheme,  showing  a  very  high  take-up  of  both 
products and licences14. Moreover, 1 034 organisations in 
4  120  sites  in  Italy  are  currently  registered  in  EMAS,  the 
European  Commission's  eco-management  and  audit 
scheme15.  Since  the  last  EIR  report  in  2019,  Italy    has 
regsitered    3  252  new  products  under  the  EU  Ecolabel, 
and  51  new  organisations  have  registered  in  EMAS.  By 
contrast,  24  fewer  Ecolabel  licences  were  registered  in 
2020 than in  2019. 

Green public procurement (GPP) 

Waste management 

public 

that  meet 

consumption,  with 

Public  procurement  accounts  for  a  large  proportion  of 
European 
authorities’ 
purchasing  power  representing  around  14%  of  EU  GDP. 
Public  procurement  can  help  drive  the  demand  for 
sustainable  products 
reparability  and 
recyclability standards. Italy adopted its first green public 
procurement (GPP) national action plan in 2013. Italy was 
the  first  Member  State  to  set,  in  2016,  an  extensive 
obligation for contracting authorities to include minimum 
environmental  criteria  in  their  purchases.  So  far  it  has 
defined  minimum  environmental  criteria  (MEC)  for  18 
product  categories.  The  obligation  to  ‘buy  green’  applies 
to  all  contracting  authorities.  Italy  plans  to  bring  in  a  
monitoring system , but no official data are yet available. 
The RRP envisages further supporting MEC under GPP, as 

9  ISTAT,  2020,  Statistica  sperimentale.  Comportamenti  d'impresa  e 
sviluppo sostenible 
10  European  Commission  -  Directorate-General  for  Environment  (DG 
ENV), Eco-innovation Observatory, Eco-innovation index. 

Turning waste into a resource is supported by:  
(i) fully implementing EU waste legislation, which 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;  
(iii)  limiting  energy  recovery  to  non-recyclable  materials 
and  phasing  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  or  recoverable 
waste. 

11 Green Procurement Observatory, 2021. 
12 TAIEX - Environmental Implementation Review - PEER TO PEER  
13  EMAS  is  the  European  Commission’s  eco-management  and  audit 
scheme, a programme to encourage organisations to behave in a more 
environmentally sustainable way. 
14 European Commission, Ecolabel Facts and Figures. 
15  As of  May  2018.  European  Commission,  Eco-Management  and Audit 
Scheme. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
This  section  focuses  on  the  management  of  municipal 
waste16  for  which  EU 
law  sets  mandatory  recycling 
targets. 

resource  efficiency  and 

Preventing products and materials  from becoming waste 
for  as  long  as  possible  is  the  most  efficient  way  to 
improve 
the 
environmental impact of waste. Waste prevention and re-
use are the most preferred options, and are therefore at 
the top of the waste hierarchy. The amount of municipal 
waste  generated  is  a  good  indicator  of  the  effectiveness 
of waste prevention measures. 

reduce 

to 

After  falling  for  a  period,  municipal  waste  generation  in 
Italy  has  started  to  increase  in  recent  years.  It  came  to 
504 kg/year/inhabitant in 2019, although it remains close 
to  the  EU  average  (501  kg/year/inhabitant),  as  shown  in 
Figure 4. This indicates that Italy’s economic growth is not 
yet decoupled from its generation of waste. 

Figure 4: Municipal waste by treatment in Italy, 2010-
201917 

Figure  4  also  shows  municipal  waste  by  treatment,  in 
terms  of  kilos  per  inhabitant.  The  situation  varies  by 
region,  but  managing  waste  efficiently  at  national  level 
Italy18.  The 
remains  an 
partnership  agreement  2021-27  cites  2019  data  that 

important  challenge 

for 

16 Municipal waste consists of (a) mixed waste and separately collected 
waste  from  households,  including  paper  and  cardboard,  glass,  metals, 
plastics,  bio-waste,  wood,  textiles,  packaging,  waste  electrical  and 
electronic  equipment,  waste  batteries  and  accumulators,  and  bulky 
waste, 
including  mattresses  and  furniture;  (b)  mixed  waste  and 
separately  collected  waste  from  other  sources,  where  such  waste  is 
similar in nature and composition to waste from households. (Directive 
2008/98/EC, Article 3 2b). 
17 Eurostat, Municipal waste by waste operation, April 2022 (2020 data 
from  Italy  not  yet  available).However,  ISPRA  data  for  2020  indicates 
waste production per capita of 488.5 kg and separate collection of 63%, 
up of 1.8% compared to 2019. 
18  European  Commission,  Country  Report  European  Semester  2020, 
(pp.64-5). 

Italy  7 

shows  landfilling  is  still  excessive  in  the  least  developed 
regions  (31%)  and  in  the  transition  regions  (39.7%),  as 
compared  to  the  most  developed  regions  (14.8%),  and 
concludes that great efforts by certain regions are needed 
to meet the 10% national target for landfilling by 2035. 

Nevertheless,  Italy  has  made  slow  but  steady  progress 
over  the  past  decade  with  a  steady  increase  in  recycling 
(in 2019 with 51% compared with EU average of 48%) as 
shown  in  Figure  5  and  a  decrease  in  landfilling  (21%  in 
2019)  

The  Italian  government’s  intention  under  their  waste 
policy  is  to  increase  recycling  capacity,  which,  in  turn, 
should  reduce  the  demand  for  new  incineration  plants.. 
The  RRP  also  contains  investments  for  new  waste  plants 
and upgrading of existing plants. 

Figure 5: Recycling rate of municipal waste, 2010-201919 

As mentioned above, the centre and south of the country 
perform less well on waste management than the north. 
for  poor  waste 
Campania  continues  to  pay 
management,  following  a  CJEU  ruling  for  its  previous 
waste-management  policies.  Some  progress  has  been 
made  in  Campania  to  put  in  place  a  functional  waste 
management  network,  with  a  one  third  reduction  in  the 
daily fine set since June 2021.  

fines 

Moreover,  based  on 
information  available  to  the 
Commission,  it  appears  that  a  significant  number  of 
irregular and substandard landfills operate in Italy. These 
sites  are 
landfilling 
illegal  or  do  not  meet  the  EU 
standards (e.g. they lack pre-treatment of waste or do not 

19 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal rate, April 2022 (2020 data from 
Italy not yet available). 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
process  the  organic  waste  fraction)  and  present  serious 
risks  to    human  health  and  the  environment.  Italy  was 
already  fined  by  the  CJEU  in  2014  for  over  200  irregular 
landfills, and in April 2022, Italy was still paying a fine for 
29  irregular  landfills;  75%  are  located  in  the  southern 
regions. 

In its judgement issued on 29 March 2019 for a separate 
case,  the  CJEU  ruled  that  Italy  had  failed  to  ensure  the 
definitive  closure  and  rehabilitation  of  a  further  44 
landfills, that do not comply with the requirements under 
the  Landfill  Directive.  In  the  meantime,  the  Commission 
has ascertained that, though Italy has regularly closed 32 
landfills,  it  has  failed  to  close  and  rehabilitate  the  12 
remaining  landfills.  The  Commission  therefore  called  on 
Italy to comply with EU rules on landfills20. 

Italy  is  not  considered  at  risk  of  missing  the  EU  2020 
targets  for  the  reuse  and  recycling  of  waste,  but 
continuous  efforts  are  needed  to  meet  the  subsequent 
EU  targets.21    The  Commission  is  currently  finalising  its 
analysis  of  progress  on  the  recommendations  from  the 
2018 Early Warning Reports and an analysis of progress in 
achieving the 2025 waste recyling targets. This report will 
be  presented  at  the  end  of  2022  and  will  assess  the 
progress made to date. 

Italy  (CINSEDO22/Emilia  Romagna)  used  the  EIR  peer  to 
peer tool to organise an exchange with Belgium (Flanders) 
on waste management on 26 October 2020. 

Italian  Zero  Waste  Communities 

The 
mention23, funded by LIFE. 

is  worthy  of 

Implementation of the 2018 waste legislative package 

Italy  has  notified  transposition  of  the  2018  waste 
package24 to the Commission. A conformity assessment is 
now ongoing. 

Waste  management  plans  and  waste  prevention 
programmes  are 
sound 
implementation  of  the  EU’s  waste  legislation.  They  set 
out key provisions and investments to ensure compliance 
with  existing  and  new  legal  requirements  (e.g.  waste 

instrumental 

to  achieve 

infringements  package:  key 

20  European  Commission,  April  2022 
decisions 
21  European  Commission,  Report  on  the  implementation  of  waste 
legislation, including the early warning report for Member States at risk 
of missing the 2020 preparation for re-use/recycling target on municipal 
waste, COM(2018)656. 
22  CINSEDO:  Centro  interregionale  di  studi  e  documentazione  (inter-
regional centre for studies and documentation) 
23 LIFE, Zero Communities Waste 
24  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. 

Italy  8 

prevention,  separate  collection  for  a  number  of  specific 
waste  streams,  recycling  and  landfill  targets).  Revised 
plans and programmes were due on 5 July 2020. 

Italy  has  waste  management  plans  at  regional  (19)  or 
autonomous  province  level  (2)  and  some  regions  have 
special  waste  plans  (8)  for  special  or  hazardous  wastes, 
making a total of 29 plans. Italy has also a national waste 
prevention  programme  for  2013-2020,  which  is  also 
replicated  at  regional  level.  On  24  June  2022,  Italy 
adopted  the  national  waste  management  programme25. 
On  23  June  2021,  Italy  issued  a  decree  for  a  waste 
prevention  programme  for  packaging  for  2019-2023. 
Since the 2019 EIR, Italy has also issued decrees covering 
end-of-life for processing nappies and tyres. 

There  are  currently  no  geographical  gaps  in  terms  of 
coverage for municipal and special waste plans in Italy but 
some  plans  have  clear-cut  gaps  in  terms  of  their  policy 
coverage to bring them into line with the 2018 revision of 
the  Waste  Framework  Directive.  The  aforementioned 
PNGR will be coherent with the waste management plans.  

Italy  has  not  yet  ratified  the  Hong  Kong  International 
Convention  for  the  Safe  and  Environmentally  Sound 
Recycling of Ships or the International Convention for the 
Control  and  Management  of  Ships'  Ballast  Water  and 
Sediments. 

In the 2019 EIR Italy had five priority actions in the field of 
waste.  It  has  made  no  progress  on  the  priority  to 
harmonise  the  low-level  of  regional  landfill  taxes  across 
the country. It has made limited progress on the priorities 
to  introduce  new  policy  and  economic  instruments  to 
promote waste prevention, product re-use and increasing 
recycling  rates,  but  there  are  milestones  in  the  Council 
decision  of  13  July  2021  adopting  the  RRP  to  meet  EU 
recycling targets at national level and separate collection 
rates at regional level26, so no priority action is proposed 
for  2022.  Italy  has  made  some  progress  on  closing 
irregular landfills with a steady rate of closure, but this is 
not  completed.  Therefore  some  priority  actions  are 
repeated.  Italy  also  received  a  general  priority  action  in 
2019  with  regard  to  signing  and  ratifying  outstanding 
international agreements. 

2022 priority actions 
  Harmonise and increase regional landfill tax rates. 
 

Implement 
national  waste  management 
programme  and  ensure  regional  waste  management 
plans  are  in  line  with  the  revised  Waste  Framework 
Directive. Complete closure of non-compliant landfills. 

the 

25 National programme for waste management 
26 European Commission, Italy’s recover and resilience plan. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
  Ratify international Conventions on ship recycling and 

on ballast water and sediments. 

Italy  9 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
2. Biodiversity and natural capital

Italy  10 

The 2030 EU biodiversity strategy adopted in May 2020 
aims to put the EU’s biodiversity on a path to recovery 
and  sets  out  new  targets  and  governance  mechanisms 
to achieve healthy and resilient ecosystems.  
In particular, the strategy sets out ambitious targets to: 
(i) protect a minimum of 30% of the EU’s land area and 
30% of its sea area and integrate ecological corridors, as 
part of a true trans-European nature network;  
(ii) strictly protect at least a third of the EU’s protected 
areas,  including  all  remaining  EU  primary  and  old-
growth forests;  
(iii)  effectively  manage  all  protected  areas,  defining 
clear  conservation  objectives  and  measures,  and 
monitoring them appropriately.  
The strategy also sets out an EU nature restoration plan 
–  a  series  of  concrete  commitments  and  actions  to 
restore  degraded  ecosystems  across  the  EU  by  2030, 
and  manage  them  sustainably,  addressing  the  key 
drivers of biodiversity loss. 

The Habitats and the Birds Directives are key legislative 
tools  to  meet  the  targets  in  the  EU’s  biodiversity 
strategy  for  2030,  and  are  the  cornerstone  of  the  EU 
legislation aimed at conserving of the EU's wildlife.27 

In  2021  Italy’s  Ministry  for  the  Ecological  Transition 
started  preparing  a  new  national  biodiversity  strategy 
for 2030, in line with the contents and targets of the EU 
biodiversity  strategy  for  2030.  The  previous  strategy 
was last reviewed in 2016. 

Italy has not yet ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access 
to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing 
of  Benefits  Arising  from  their  Utilization  (ABS)  to  the 
Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  for  which  it  had  a 
information 
priority  action 
available 
is  proposing 
legislation  to  do  so  in  the  shortterm;  therefore  no 
priority action is proposed in 2022. 

in  2019.  According  to 

the  Commission, 

Italy 

to 

Nature protection and restoration  

Natura  200028,  the  largest  coordinated  network  of 
protected  areas  in  the  world,  is  the  key  instrument  to 
in  the  Birds  and  Habitats 
achieve  the  objectives 

Directives. These objectives are to ensure the long term 
protection,  conservation  and  survival  of  Europe's  most 
valuable  and  threatened  species  and  habitats  and  the 
ecosystems they underpin. The setting up of a coherent 
Natura  2000  network,  the  designation  of  Sites  of 
Importance  (SCI)  as  Special  Areas  of 
Community 
Conservation 
the  setting  conservation 
objectives  and  measures  for  the  Natura  2000  sites  are 
key  milestones  towards  meeting  the  objectives  of  the 
Directives. 

(SAC)  and 

Setting up a coherent network of Natura 2000 sites 

Italy  hosts  132  habitat  types29  and  340  species30 
covered  by  the  Habitats  Directive.  The  country  also 
hosts  populations  of  124  bird  taxa  listed  in  Annex  I  to 
the Birds Directive31. 

By  2021,  19.1% of the  territory  of  Italy  was covered by 
Natura 2000 (EU average 18.5%), see Figure 10. Special 
Protection  Areas  (SPAs)  classified  under  the  Birds 
Directive  cover  13.4%  of  the  territory  (EU  average 
12.8%)  and  SCIs  under  the  Habitats  Directive  cover 
14.3% (EU average 14.2%) of Italy’s territory. 

that 

shows 

remain 

insufficiencies 

latest  assessment  of  the  Italian  Natura  2000 
The 
network 
in 
designating several species and habitat types under the 
Habitats  Directive  as  well  as  a  number  of  bird  species 
under  the  Birds  Directive.    Therefore,  Italy  must  still 
complete  its  Natura  2000  network,  in  particular  the 
marine network. As a consequence, on 9 June 2021, the 
Commission  sent  Italy  a  letter  of  formal  notice  to  urge 
the national authorities to take the measures needed to 
comply with the requirements of these two Directives. 

Considering  both  Natura  2000  and  other  nationally 
designated protected areas, Italy legally protects 21.4% 
of its terrestrial areas (EU27 average 26.4%) and  about 
5.4% of marine areas (EU27 average 10.7%)32.  Figure 6 
shows  the  situation  at  EU  level  for  terrestrial  and 
marine  sites  in  terms  of  meeting  the  EU  biodiversity 
strategy 2030 target of 30%. 

27  These  should  be  reinforced  by  the Nature  Restoration  Law, 
according to the new EU biodiversity strategy. 
28Nature 2000 comprises Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) which 
are  designated  pursuant  to  the  Habitats  Directive  whereas  Special 
Protection  Areas  (SPAs)  are  designated  pursuant  to  the  Birds 
Directive; figures of coverage do not add up due to the fact that some 
SCIs  and  SPAs  overlap.  Special  Areas  of  Conservation  (SACs)  are  SCIs 
designated by the Member States. 

29 EEA, Article 17 dashboard, Annex I total, 2019. 
30  EEA, Article  17  dashboard,  Annex  II  &  Annex  IV  excluding  those  in 
Annex  II  &  Annex  V  excluding  those  in  Annex  II,  2019.  This  counting 
only takes into account species and habitats for which assessment of 
conservation status was requested. 
31  EEA, Article  12  dashboard,  Annex  I,  2020. This counting  only  takes 
into account birds taxa for which information was requested. 
32  Eurostat,  Protected  Areas,  terrestrial  protected  area  percentage 
(2021) and marine protected area percentage (2019), March 2022. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Figure 6: Marine & terrestrial protected area coverage 
202133 

Italy  11 

Designating Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and 
setting conservation objectives and measures 

The six-year deadline set under the Habitats Directive to 
designate SCIs as SACs and set appropriate conservation 
objectives and measures has expired for all sites in Italy. 

Nevertheless,  12  SCIs  have  not  yet  been  designated  as 
SACs.  Site 
specific  conservation  objectives  and 
measures  have  not  been  adopted  for  all  designated 
SACs and the quality of those adopted does not fulfil the 
required  standards.  An 
is 
ongoing to address these problems. 

infringement  procedure 

Progress in maintaining or restoring favourable 
conservation status of species and habitats 

The  results  of  the  Article  17  report  on  the  Habitats 
Directive and the Article 12 report on the Birds Directive  
on  progress 
restoring 
favourable  conservation  status  of  species  and  habitats 
are key to measure the performance of Member States. 

towards  maintaining  or 

According  to  the  report  submitted  by  Italy  on  the 
conservation  status  of  habitats  and  species  covered  by 
Article 17 of the Habitats Directive for the period 2013-
2018,  the  share  of  assessments  of  habitats  in  good 
conservation  status  in  2018  was  9.9%,  less  than  the 
22.2%  reported  under  the  previous  reporting  period 
(2007-2012),  see  Figure  8.  For  protected  species,  the 
share  of  assessments  in  good  conservation  status  in 
2018  was 43.4%, an increase on the  39.6% reported  in 
the previous  period (2007-2012), see Figure 935.  

35 EEA State of Nature in the EU 2021. 

Figure 7: Natura 2000 terrestrial protected area 
coverage, 202134 

33  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  Dashboard,  indicators  A1.1.1  and  A1.2.1, 
February 2022. 

34 EEA, Natura 2000 Barometer, February 2022. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
On the conservation  of birds,  the population of  47% of 
breeding  species  showed  short-term  increases  or  were 
stable (for key wintering species, this figure was 44%). 

Figure 9: Assessments on conservation status for 
species for 2007-2012 and 2013-2018 reporting 
periods37 

Italy  12 

At  the  same  time,  the  share  of  habitats  in  a  bad 
conservation  status  rose  to  38.7%  and  the  share  of 
assessments  for  species  in  bad  conservation  status  
remained  stable  at  around  16%.  The  categories  of 
habitats  in  the  worst  conservation  status  are  freshwater 
habitats,  grasslands  and  dunes  habitats.  Freshwater  fish 
species  have  been  reported  as  the  species  group  in  the 
worst conservation status. The main pressure on habitats 
and  species  identified  in  Italy’s  report  are  agriculture, 
alien  species  and  the  development,  construction  and 
use  of 
industrial  and 
commercial, 
recreational infrastructure and areas. 

residential, 

The  Commission  receives  many  complaints  about  poor 
implementation of the Nature Directives in Italy, namely 
the lack of effective protection of designated sites (from 
several  types  of  development  projects  and  activities) 
and of protected species (e.g. poaching of wild birds). 

Figure 8: Assessments on conservation status for 
habitats for 2007-2012 and 2013-2018 reporting 
periods36 

The  LIFE  programme  has  been  widely  used  in  Italy  for 
nature  purposes.  Three  notable  example  projects  are: 
the  integrated  project  GESTIRE  202038  for  action  plans 
on  Habitats  Directive  species  of  flora,  bats  and 
amphibians  and  guidelines  on  invasive  alien  species 
(IAS);  LIFE  BRENTA  203039,  which  concerns  green 
infrastructure/nature-based  solutions  for  the  Brenta 
river,  also  supporting  the  Water  Framework  Directive.  
This project provides an innovative business model that 
allows  the  financing  and  therefore  the  perpetuation  of 
the  actions  foreseen  by  the  project  itself.;  and  LIFE 
WolfAlps  which  won  a  LIFE  Award  in  201940.  Italy  has 
also  the  highest  number  (23)  of  projects  in  the  EU 
funded under Interreg for Natura 200041. 

in  2022 

As  part  of  the  RRP, 
in 
administrative  simplifications  and  it  will  develop  digital 
services  for  visitors  to  national  parks  and  marine 
protected areas.  

Italy  will  bring 

In the 2019 EIR Italy had four priority actions to: finalise 
SCIs  and  SPAs  for  marine  areas  and  to  finalise 
conservation  objectives  of  sites  where  only  limited 
progress  has  been  made.  Italy  adopted  new  national 
guidelines  to  implement  assessment  procedures  under 
the  Habitats  Directive  in  December  2019  but  they  are 

37  European  Environment  Agency,  Conservation  status  and  trends  of 
habitats  and  species,  December  2021.  Please  note when  comparing 
the  figures  shown  for  2007-2012  and  2013-2018  these  may  also  be 
affected by changes of methods or due to better data availability. 

38 LIFE GESTIRE 
39 LIFE BRENTA 2030 
40 LIFE WOLFALPS  
41 The N2K Group (2020), Analysis of the use of Interreg programmes 
for natura 2000 and biodiversity, p.17. 

36  EEA,  Conservation  status  and  trends  of  habitats  and  species, 
December  2021.  Please  note when  comparing  the  figures  shown  for 
2007-2012  and 2013-2018  these  may  also  be  affected by  changes of 
methods or due to better data availability. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
to  provide 

not  yet  fully  transposed  or  implemented  in  all  regions, 
so  there  is  limited  progress  on  this  front.  Another 
priority  action  was 
from 
resources 
competent  authorities  to 
implement  conservation 
measures  and  species  specific  action  plans.  Here  Italy  
has made  limited progress. The last priority action was 
to fully implement the national action plan to cease the  
illegal killing of birds;  only limited progress made here. 

Bringing nature back to agricultural land and restoring 
soil ecosystems 

Agricultural land 

The biodiversity strategy works alongside the new farm 
to fork strategy and the new common agricultural policy 
(CAP)  to  support  and  achieve  the  transition  to  fully 
sustainable agriculture.  
The  biodiversity  and  farm  to  fork  strategies  have  set 
four important targets for 2030:  
- a 50% reduction in the overall use of – and risk from – 
chemical pesticides; 
-  a  50%  reduction  in  the  use  of  more  hazardous 
pesticides; 
-  a  50%  reduction  in  losses  of  nutrients  from  fertilisers 
while  ensuring  there  is  no  deterioration  of  soil  fertility 
(which  will  result  in  a  20%  reduction  in  the  use  of 
fertilisers);  
- bring back at least 10% of agricultural area under high-
diversity  landscape  features  and  increase  areas  under 
organic farming to at least 25%. 

As shown in Figure 10, Italy has an estimated 15.97% of 
area  under  organic  farming,  which  is  above  the  EU 
average of 9.07% (2020).  

Figure  10:  Share  of  total  utilised  agricultural  area 
occupied  by  organic  farming  per  Member  State  in 
202042 

Italy  13 

Italy’s  rural  environment  is  diverse  due  to  the  wide 
range of morphological regions. In northern regions and 
flat regions in the south of the country, there is intense 
is  more 
agriculture. 
extensive. Italy faces issues with soil erosion, flood risk, 
climate change (droughts and extreme weather events) 
and  eutrophication43.  The  farmland  bird  index  shows  a 
decline from 92 in 2011 to 77 in 2017 (2000 = 100)44. 

In  mountainous 

regions, 

it 

Soil ecosystem 

soil 

new 

strategy, 

Soil  is  a  finite  and  extremely  fragile  resource.  It  is 
increasingly degrading in the EU. 
adopted 
on 
The 
EU 
17 November 2021,  stresses  the 
importance  of  soil 
protection,  of  sustainable  soil  management  and  of 
restoring  degraded  soils  to  achieve  the  Green  Deal 
objectives  as  well  as  land-degradation  neutrality  by 
2030.  
This entails:  
(i) preventing further soil degradation;  
(ii)  making  sustainable  soil  management  the  new 
normal;  
(iii) taking action for ecosystem restoration 

One factor degrading the land is the area of soil that is 
sealed or artificialised45 (Figure 11). The net  land taken 
per  year  in  the  period  2012-2018  can  be  seen  as  a 
measure  of  one  important  pressure  on  nature  and 

43 Commission Recommendations for Italy’s CAP Strategic Plan, 2020. 
44 Eurostat Farmland Bird Index. 
45 Artificial  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). 

42 Eurostat, Area under organic farming. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
biodiversity - land use change - which constitutes at the 
same  time  an  environmental  pressure  on  people  living 
in urbanised areas. 

The  2019  EIR  mentioned  that  a  law  on  containing  the 
loss  of  land  and  re-using  soil  that  has  been  built  on  is 
with the Parliament; this is still the case. 

Italy  14 

Despite  a  reduction  in  the  last  decade  (land  take  was 
over  1000  km2/year  between  2000-2006),  land  take  in 
the EU28 still amounted to 539km2/year between 2012-
201846.  The  net  land  take  concept  combines  land  take 
with  land  return  to  non-artificial  land  categories  (re-
cultivation).  Although  some  land  was  re-cultivated  in 
the EU28 in the period 2000-2018, 11 times more land 
was taken. 

Italy ranks above the EU average on net land take, with 
55.2  m2/km2  in  2012-2018  (against  the  EU27  average 
of: 83.8 m2/km2)47.  

the  next 

Performance  Review 

In 2018, Italy updated its reporting on land degradation 
and 
following 
Implementation  System  (PRAIS3)  reporting  platform 
under  the  United  Nations  Convention  on  Combating 
Desertification  (UNCCD)  48.  It  listed  actions  to  combat 
degradation. 

Figure 11: Land take and recultivation in EU27 
(m2/km2) 2012-201849 

The  partnership  agreement  2021-27  notes  that  the 
diffused  presence  of  polluted  sites,  if  decontaminated, 
represents  an  opportunity 
for  new  productive 
investments  and  services,  without  increasing  soil  take, 
especially in the southern Italy. 

Forests and timber 

The EU Forest Strategy for 2030 adopted in July 2021 is 
a part of the ’Fit for 55’ Package. The Strategy promotes 
the many services that forests provide. Its’ key objective 
is  to  ensure  healthy,  diverse  and  resilient  EU  forests, 
which 
strengthened 
significantly 
biodiversity and climate ambition. Forests are important 
carbon sinks and their conservation efforts are vital for 
the EU’s vision of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.  

contribute 

to 

Out  of  the  27%  of  EU  forest  area  protected  under  the 
Habitats Directive, less than 15% of assessments show a 
favourable  conservation  status51.  Bad  conservation 
status increased from 27% to 31% in the EU compared 
to 2015. 

In  Italy,  forests  cover  29.97%  of  land  52.  93  000  ha  in 
Italy is covered by primary forests53. In Italy, over 90% of 
the  assessments reveal  areas in a bad to poor status54, 
see Figure 12. 

Figure  12:    Conservation  status  of  forests  protected 
under  the  Habitats  Directive  in  EU  Member  States, 
2013-2018 (% assessments)55 

Furthermore, 
degradation neutrality targets under the UNCCD.50  

Italy  has  committed 

set 

to 

land 

46 EEA, Land take and recultivation in Europe  
47 EEA Land take and recultivation; Figure 6; Net land take = land take 
+ recultivation. 
48  UNCCD, Prais3 
49 EEA, Land take in Europe, December 2021 
50  UNCCD,  The  LDN  Target  Setting  Programme,  and  Countries-with-
voluntary-ldn-targets. 

51 EEA, State of Nature in the EU 2021 
52 EEA, Forest information system for Europe 
53 JRC, Mapping and assessment of primary and old-growth forests in 
Europe, p. 13. 
54 EU Forests Strategy 2030: Staff Working Document  
55 EEA, Conservation status and trend in conservation status by habitat 
group - forests, January 2022. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Italy  15 

The  biodiversity  strategy  for  2030  aims  to  manage 
recognised  invasive  alien  species  and  decrease  the 
number of ‘red list’ species they threaten by 50%. 

The core of Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien 
species  (the  IAS  Regulation58)  is  the  list  of  IAS  of  EU 
concern.  

The  total  number  of  IAS  of  Union  concern  is  currently 
66,  of  which:  30  are  animal  species;  36  are  plant 
species;  41  are  primarily  terrestrial  species;  23  are 
primarily  freshwater  species;  1  is  a  brackish-water 
species and 1 is a marine species.  

According to a 2021 report59 on the implementation  of 
the  IAS  Regulation,  progress  was  being  made  towards 
certain  objectives  such  as  creating  a  coherent 
framework for addressing IAS at EU level and increasing 
awareness  of  the  problem  of  IAS.  The  report  also 
identified some challenges and areas for improvement. 
However, given that implemention deadlines for the IAS 
Regulation were staggered from July 2016 to July 2019, 
it is still too early to draw conclusions on several aspects 
of implementation. 

Another  2021  report60  on  the  baseline  distribution  of 
IAS  shows  that  from  the  66  species  on  the  EU  list,  39 
have  been  observed  in  the  environment  in  Italy.  The 
spread can be seen in Figure 13. 

Figure  13:  Number  of  invasive  alien  species  of  EU 
concern, 
georeferenced 
information for Italy, 2021 

available 

based 

on 

58  Regulation  (EU)  No  1143/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of 
the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of 
the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. 
59  Report  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council  on  the  review  of  the  application  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1143/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22 
October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction 
and spread of invasive alien species, COM(2021) 628 final, 13.10.2021. 
60  Cardoso  A.C.,  Tsiamis  K.,  Deriu  I.,  D'  Amico  F.,  Gervasini  E.,  EU 
Regulation  1143/2014:  assessment  of  invasive  alien species of  Union 
concern  distribution,  Member  States  reports  vs  JRC  baselines,  EUR 
30689  EN,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg, 
2021, ISBN 978-92-76-37420-6, doi:10.2760/11150, JRC123170. 

The  EU  Timber  Regulation  (EUTR)56,  prohibits  the 
placing  on  the  EU  market  of  illegally  harvested  timber. 
In  accordance  with  the  EUTR,  EU  Member  States 
competent  authorities  must  conduct  regular  checks  on 
operators  and  traders,  and  apply  penalties  for  non-
compliance.  With  the  amendment  of  Article  20  of  the 
EUTR, biennial reporting became annual and covers the 
calendar year as of 2019. 

Between  March 2017 and February 201957, Italy carried 
out  1 501 checks on domestic timber operators. It also 
carried out 285 checks on operators importing timber. It 
is  estimated  that  Italy  had  30  210  operators  placing 
imported  types  of  timber  on  the  internal  market  over 
the reporting period. 

The  new  Deforestation  Regulation38  will  repeal  and 
replace  the  EU  Timber  Regulation,  as  it  will  essentially 
integrate  and  improve  the  existing  system  to  monitor 
the legality of timber. 

Invasive alien species (IAS) 

in 

and 

land 

changes 

IAS  are  a  key  cause  of  biodiversity  loss  in  the  EU 
(alongside 
use, 
sea 
overexploitation, climate change and pollution).  
Besides  inflicting  major  damage  on  nature  and  the 
economy,  many  IAS  also  facilitate  the  outbreak  and 
spread of infectious diseases, posing a threat to humans 
and wildlife.  
The  implementation  of  the  EU  Invasive  Alien  Species 
legislation  must  be 
Regulation  and  other  relevant 
stepped up.  

56 Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 20 October 2010. 
57 Commission report 2020 on EU Timber Regulation 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
 
Italy  16 

habitats  in  marine  ecosystems  and  to  achieve  good 
environmental status as well as eliminate or reduce the 
incidental 
endangered, 
threatened  and  sensitive  species  to  a  level  that  allows 
species recovery and conservation63. 

protected, 

catches 

of 

The  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive  (MSFD) 
requires Member States to achieve good environmental 
status  (GES)  for  their  marine  waters.  To  that  end, 
Member  States  must  draw  up  marine  strategies  for 
their marine waters, and cooperate with Member States 
sharing  the  same  marine  region  or  sub-region.  These 
marine  strategies  comprise  different  steps  to  be 
developed and implemented over six-year cycles. 

(Article  9),  and  to  provide  an 

The  MSFD  also  requires  Member  States  by  15  October 
2018  to  define  a  set  of  GES  characteristics  for  each 
initial 
descriptor 
assessment  of  their  marine  waters  (Article  8).  The 
Commission  then  assesses  whether  this  constitutes  an 
appropriate framework to meet the requirements of the 
Directive. 

The Commission assessed Italy’s 2018 determinations of 
GES  for  each  MSFD’s  11  descriptors64  and  determined 
their  level  of  adequacy  in  relation  to  the  Commission 
Decision  on  criteria  and  methodological  standards  on 
Good Environmental Status of marine waters65. A good 
or  very  good  score 
indicates  that  the  national 
determinations  of  GES  are  well  aligned  with 
the  Commission  GES  Decision, 
requirements  of 
providing  qualitative 
and  quantitative  national 
environmental  objectives  to  be  achieved  for  their 
marine waters (Figure 14). 

An infringement case is ongoing for Italy61 since it failed 
to draw up and implement a single action plan or a set 
of  action  plans  fulfilling  the  requirements  specified  in 
Article 13 of the IAS Regulation by 13 July 2019 and to 
transmit it to the Commission without delay. 

Italy is involved in the EU-wide LIFE Stop Vespa project 
which aims to use radar to trace the route of the Vespa 
velutina.  The  LIFE  ASAP  project  aims  to  increase  the 
awareness  of  IAS  and  to  promote  the  correct  and 
efficient management of IAS by public entities in Italy62. 

2022 priority actions 

 

  setting 

the completion of the Natura 2000 network, namely 
its marine component;  
appropriate, 

conservation 
objectives and measures, and full implementation of 
them,  in  line  with  the  specific  needs  and  priorities 
identified 
the  updated  prioritized  action 
frameworks (PAFs) adopted by the regions; 

site-specific 

in 

  more effective enforcement of the nature protection 
provisions,  greater  administrative  capacity  and 
improved management of  designated sites. 

Marine ecosystems 

The EU Biodiversity Strategy  2030 aims to substantially 
reduce  the  negative  impacts  on  sensitive  species  and 

61  Italy  is  in  infringement  (18.06.2021)  of  the  IAS  Regulation,  along 
with 17 other countries. 
62 LIFE ASAP 

63  The  EU  Common  Fisheries  Policy  (CFP)  aims  to  contribute  to  the 
achievement  of  the  objectives  of  the  environmental  legislation  for 
marine ecosystems. 
64  Annex  I  of  Directive  2008/56/EC  establishing  a  framework  for 
community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine 
Strategy Framework Directive), OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19–40. 
65  This  assessment  was  made  in  relation  to  the  ‘Commission  GES 
Decision’,  Commission  Decision No  2017/848, OJ L 125, 18.5.2017 
pp. 43-74. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Figure 14: Level of adequacy of GES determination by 
Italy (MAD, MIC and MWE regions) with criteria set 
under the Commission GES Decision - Article 9 (2018 
reporting exercise)66 

  In  MWE-  Mediterranean:  Western  Mediterranean 
Sea,  6  out  of  the  11  determinations  of  GES  were 
assessed  as  good  or  very  good.  The  national 
determination of GES by Italy is coherent for 6 out of 
the 11 descriptors. 

Italy  17 

The  MSFD  also  requires  that  Member  States  make  an 
assessment of the current environmental status of their 
marine waters in relation to the determination of GES. A 
good or very good score indicates that a Member State 
has  good 
their  marine 
environment  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  set 
out in the Commission GES Decision (Figure 15). 

capabilities 

to  assess 

Figure 15: Level of adequacy of national assessment of 
Italy’s  marine  environment  (MAD,  MIC  and  MWE 
regions)  with  criteria  set  under  the  Commission  GES 
Decision -  Article 8 (2018 reporting exercise)67  

Italy is included in three marine sub-regions: 

 

In  MAD-Mediterranean:  Adriatic  Sea,  6  out  of  11 
determinations  of  GES  were  assessed  as  good  or 
very  good.  The  national  determination  of  GES  by 
Italy is coherent for 6 out of the 11 descriptors.  
  In  MIC-  Mediterranean:  Ionian  Sea  and  Central 
Mediterranean  Sea,  6  out  of  the  11  determinations 
of  GES  were  assessed  as  good  or  very  good.  The 
national  determination  of  GES  by  Italy  is  coherent 
for 6 out of 11 descriptors. 

66  Assessment  carried  out  by  the  European  Commission  of  the  data 
reported by the Member States, January 2022. Please note that only 
two sub-sections of descriptor D1 are displayed (D1-M Mammals and 
D1-B Birds). For the analysis, these two sub-sections were considered 
as a whole after averaging them.  

67  Assessment  carried  out  by  the  European  Commission  of  the  data 
reported by the Member States, January 2022. Please note that only 
two sub-sections of descriptor D1 are displayed (D1-M Mammals and 
D1-B Birds). For the analysis, these two sub-sections were considered 
as a whole after averaging them.  

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Italy  18 

Zone  Management 

Italy has not yet ratified the Protocol for the Protection 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  against  Pollution  Resulting 
from the Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental 
Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil (Offshore Protocol 
to  the  Barcelona  Convention)  or  the  Protocol  on 
Integrated  Coastal 
the 
Mediterranean  (ICZM)71  (Protocol  to  the  Barcelona 
Convention).  In  the  2019  EIR,  Italy  had  four  priority 
actions. Three are considered fulfilled: one on providing 
the  reporting  due  under  the  MSFD;  and  two  on  
providing more information about measures to address 
pressures,  where  some  progress  has  been  made.  Italy 
also received a general priority action in 2019 on signing 
and ratifying outstanding international agreements. 

in 

As  highlighted  in  the  Commission’s  report  on  the 
implementation  of  the  MSFD72,  although  regional 
cooperation has improved since adoption of the MSFD, 
more  cooperation  is  needed  to  attain  full  regional 
coherence  of  the  marine  strategies,  as  required  by  the 
Directive.  Furthermore,  in  March  2022,  the  European 
Communication  with 
a 
Commission 
recommendations for Member States. According to the 
Commission’s assessment, Member States must step up 
action  to determine good environmental status and use 
of  the  criteria  and  methodological  standards  set  out  in 
the Commission GES Decision. The above considerations 
form the basis for the 2022 priority actions. 

published 

2022 priority actions 

 

  ensure  regional  cooperation  with  Member  States 
sharing  the  same  marine  (sub)region  to  address 
predominant pressures;  
implement  the  recommendations  made  by  the 
the  staff  working  document73 
Commission 
communication74 
accompanying 
on 
the 
recommendations per Member States and region on 
the 2018 updated reports for Articles 8, 9 and 10 of 
the MSFD; 

in 

  ratify  the  Offshore  Protocol  to  the  Barcelona 
Convention and the ICZM Protocol to the Barcelona 
Convention. 

Ecosystem assessment and accounting  

The  EU  biodiversity  strategy  for  2030  calls  on  Member 
States  to  better  integrate  biodiversity  considerations 
into  public  and  business  decision  making  at  all  levels 
and to develop natural capital accounting. The EU needs 
a  better-performing  biodiversity-observation  network 
and  more  consistent  reporting  on  the  condition  of 

In  the  marine  sub-region  MAD-Mediterranean:  Adriatic 
Sea, 6 descriptors out of the 11 were scored as good or 
very good. Italy’s assessment of its marine environment 
is  coherent  with  the  requirements  set  under  the 
Commission  GES  Decision 
for  6  out  of  the  11 
descriptors. 

In  the  marine  sub-region  MIC-Mediterranean:  Ionian 
Sea  and  Central  Mediterranean  Sea,  Italy  scored  5 
descriptors  out  of  the  11  as  good  or  very  good.  Italy’s 
assessment  of  its marine environment  is coherent  with 
requirements  set  under  the  Commission  GES  Decision 
for 5 out of the 11 descriptors. 

In the marine sub-region MWE-Mediterranean: Western 
Mediterranean Sea, Italy scored 5 descriptors out of the 
11 as good or very good. Italy’s assessment of its marine 
environment  is  coherent  with  requirements  set  under 
the  Commission  GES  Decision 
for  5  out  of  11 
descriptors68. 

In the partnership agreement for 2021-27, Italy plans to 
take  actions  under  the  EMFAF  to  improve  marine 
stocks,  illegal  fishing  and  reducing  pollution  including 
marine litter69. 

Italy has used the LIFE programme for  notable projects 
such as CLEAN SEAS addressing marine litter70 and LIFE 
SEPOSSO  for  a  project  on  sea  grass  Posidonia  (the 
results of which are taken forward in the  RRP). Indeed, 
Italy  plans  under  the  RRP  to  have  mapped  90%  of  the 
seabed and coastal zones by 2025 with 20% restored by 
action under 22 large-scale projects.  

69 in line with the Commission Communication. COM (2021) 240 final 
of 17.05.2021. 
70 LIFE CLEAN SEAS 

71 Integrated Coastal Zone Management. 
72 COM(2020)259  
73 SWD(2022)1392. 
74  C_2022_1392_1_EN.pdf (europa.eu)  

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Italy  19 

ecosystems. 

In  Italy,  law  221/2015  on  environmental  measures  for 
promoting  the  green  economy  and 
limiting  the 
excessive  use  of  natural  resources,  established  the 
adoption  of  annual  reports 
in  order  to  promote 
measure  of  physical  and  economic  aspects  of  natural 
capital stocks and flows. It also brought  in ex ante and 
ex post assessments of the effects of public policies on 
natural  capital  and  ecosystem  services.  The  second 
report was detailed in the 2019 EIR.  

The  fourth  report  was  published  in  April  202175.  This 
report is very much aligned with the priorities under the 
RRP  and  estimates  that  environmentally  harmful 
subsidies  damaging  biodiversity  accounted  for  at  least 
EUR 28 billion in 2018. The third report was published in 
2019. 

Pressure  on  natural  capital,  habitat  fragmentation  and 
land  use  of  natural  and  semi-natural  ecosystems  are 
analysed at national and eco-regional scale, as they are 
primary concerns in ecosystem conservation and health. 
Great  attention  is  devoted  to  the  impact  of  climate 
change  on  forest  ecosystems  and  to  forest  fires  and 
drought, very topical and highly sensitive issues for Italy. 

Italy  has  provided  updated  information  and  therefore 
has  made  encouraging  progress  since  January  2016 
(Figure  16).  This  assessment 
is  based  on  27 
implementation  questions  and  updated  every  six 
months. 
accounting 
implementation  is  assessed  at  national  scale  based  on 
13 questions. 

ecosystem 

Progress 

on 

Figure 16: ESMERALDA MAES Barometer, January 
2016- Mars 202176 

75 4th Report on Natural Capital Accounting, 2021 
76  European  Commission,  Joint  Research  Centre,  EU  Ecosystem 
assessment: summary for policymakers, May 2021, (p.80). 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
Italy  20 

3. Zero pollution 

Directive  for  the  period  2020-2029  and  for  2030 
onwards.  The  latest  inventory  data  submitted  by  Italy, 
prior to review by the Commission, indicate that Italy is in 
compliance  with  the  emission  reduction  commitments 
for all pollutants in 2020. 

Italy  submitted 
programme (NAPCP) on 22 September 2020. 

its  national  air  pollution  control 

Figure 17 Emissions of main air pollutants/GDP in Italy 
2005-201985 

Figure  18  shows  emissions  of  PM2.5  and  NOx  by 
economic sector. 

Clean air 

its 

EU  clean-air  policies  and  legislation  need  to  significantly 
improve air quality in the EU, moving the EU closer to the 
quality recommended by the WHO and curbing emissions 
of key air pollutants.  
Air  pollution  and 
impacts  on  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 clean-air legislation and defining strategic targets 
and actions for 2030 and beyond.  
The 2030 zero-pollution action-plan targets are to reduce 
the health impacts of air pollution by 55% and to reduce 
the  EU  ecosystems  threatened  by  air  pollution  by  25%, 
compared to 2005.  

The EU has developed a comprehensive suite of clean air  
legislation77,  which 
sets  health-based  air  quality 
standards  and  emission  reduction  commitments78  for  a 
number of air pollutants. 

(for  2019)  by 

However, at the same time, air quality in Italy continues 
to  give  cause  for  serious  concern.  The  latest  available 
annual  estimates 
the  European 
Environment  Agency79  indicate  some  49  900  premature 
deaths (or 504 500 years of life lost (YLL)) attributable to 
fine  particulate  matter  concentrations80,  3  170  (33  200 
YLL) to ozone concentrations81 and 10 640 (107 600 YLL) 
to nitrogen dioxide  concentrations82 83. 

Emissions  of  key  air  pollutants  have  decreased 
significantly in Italy over the last years, while GDP growth 
continued  (see  Figure  17).  According  to  the 
latest 
projections  as  submitted  under  Article  10(2)  of  the 
National  Emission  reduction  Commitments  Directive 
(NECD)84.  Italy  projects  to  reach  its  commitments  on 
reducing  emissions  of  all  air  pollutants  covered  by  the 

77 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards. 
78 European Commission, Reduction of National Emissions.  
79  EEA,  Air  Quality  in  Europe  –2021  Report.  Please  see  details  in  this 
report on the underpinning methodology, (p.106). 
80  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. 
81 Low-level ozone is produced by photochemical action on pollution. 
82  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). 
83 Note that these figures refer to the impacts of individual pollutants, 
and to avoid double-counting cannot be added up to derive a sum. 
84 Directive 2016/2284/EU.  

85 EEA 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
Figure 18: PM2.5 and NOx emissions by sector in Italy, 
201986 

measures  are  put  in  place  to  bring  all  air  quality  zones 
into compliance. 

Italy  21 

(pacts) 

agreements 

The 
the 
government    and  the  regions  to  manage    air  pollution 
across  the  country  can  help,  including  the  measures 
taken after the Turin Clean Air Dialogue in June 201988. 

reached  between 

Italy  has  used  the  LIFE  programme  notably  for  the 
PREPAIR  integrated  project, which  assesses  air  quality in 
the Po Valley (also mentioned in the 2019 EIR)89. 

In  the  2019  EIR,  Italy  received  four  priority  actions.  The 
first  was  related  to  taking  specific  action  under  the 
NAPCP and the national energy and climate plan (NECP); 
here  Italy  has  made  limited  progress  so  it  is  reiterated. 
The  second  and  third  actions  addressed  reductions  of 
nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, including through 
planning,  fiscal  and  energy  choices;  here  Italy  has  made 
some  progress  notably  through  the  RRP,  but  there  is  a 
need to comply with WHO and EU standards. The fourth 
priority  action  was  to  upgrade  and  improve  air  quality 
monitoring  and  ensure  timely  reporting;  here  Italy  has 
made some progress with the NAPCP being adopted. Italy 
also had a general priority action in 2019  on signing and 
ratifying outstanding international agreements. 

2022 priority actions  

 

 take  action  under  the  NAPCP  to  reduce  emissions 
from the main sources mentioned above; 

  ensure  full  compliance  with  the  EU  air  quality 
standards and maintain the reduction in emissions of 
air  pollutants,  and  reduce  adverse  air  pollution 
impacts  on  health  and  economy  with  a  view  to 
reaching WHO guideline values in the future; 

  accelerate 

the 

amended 
ratification  of 
Gothenburg  Protocol,  Heavy  Metals  Protocol  and 
POPs Protocol under the UNECE Air Convention. 

the 

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;  
(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 

Italy  has  not  yet  ratified  the  amended  Gothenburg 
Protocol, Heavy Metals Protocol and POPs Protocol under 
the UNECE Air Convention. 

For  2020,  Italy  registered  exceedances  above  the  limit 
values  established  by  the  Ambient  Air  Quality  Directive 
for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 10 air quality zones and for 
particulate  matter  (PM10)  in  33  zones.  In  addition,  the 
target  values  for  ozone  concentration  were  not  met  for 
several air quality zones87. 

Persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  requirements,  which 
have severe negative effects on health and environment, 
are  being  followed  up  by  the  European  Commission 
through infringement  procedures (mainly over PM10 and 
NO2 exceedances) covering all Member States concerned. 
This  included  Italy  for  exceeding  the  limit  values  for  
PM10,  PM2.5  and  NO2  limit  values.  For  exceedances  of 
PM10  limit  values  and  for  NO2,  the  CJEU  has  delivered  
judgements,C-644/18;  COM  vs  Italy  for  PM10    and  C-
573/19; COM vs Italy for NO2, confirming non-compliance 
with  Directive  2008/50/EC.  The  aim  is  that  appropriate 

86 EEA. 
87 EEA, Eionet Central Data Repository. 

88 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 14.11.2019. 
89 LIFE PREPAIR 

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Italy  22 

industrial  sectors 

The 
identified  as  contributing  the 
largest  burden  to  the  environment  for  emissions  to  air 
were the energy sector for sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen 
oxides  (NOx)  and  arsenic  (As);  the  production  and 
processing  of  metals  (in  particular  iron  and  steel)  for 
cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), 
nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), particulate matter (PM2.5) 
and  dioxins;  the  mineral  industry  for  NOx  and  PM2.5; 
surface  treatment  using  organic  solvents 
for  non 
methane  volatile  organic  compounds  (NMVOCs);  and 
intensive rearing of poultry and pigs for  ammonia (NH3). 
The breakdown is shown in Figure 20. 

Figure 20: Emissions to air from IED sectors and rest of 
national total air emissions in Italy, 201893 

Industrial  Emissions  Directive  (IED)90.  The  Commission 
tabled a proposal  in April  202291. The revision seeks to 
improve the Directive’s contribution to the zero-pollution 
objective, as well as its consistency with climate, energy 
and circular economy policies. 

The overview of industrial activities regulated by  the IED 
set  out  below  is  based  on  data  reported  to  the  EU 
Registry (2018)92. 

In Italy, around 6 470 industrial installations are required 
to  have  a  permit  based  on  the  IED.  The  distribution  of 
installations is shown in the Figure 19. 

The  industrial sectors in Italy with  most  IED installations 
in 2018 were intensive rearing of poultry and pigs (33%), 
followed  by  the  waste  management  sector,  including 
landfills  (20%),  the  production  and  processing  of  metals 
(15%),  chemicals  production 
  mineral 
production (6%). 

(6%)  and 

Figure 19: Number of IED industrial installations per 
sector in Italy (EU Registry, 2018) 

90  Directive  2010/75/EU  covers  industrial  activities  carried  out  above 
certain thresholds. It covers the energy industry, metal production, the 
mineral and chemical industry, waste management, and a wide range of 
industrial  and  agricultural  sectors  (e.g.  intensive  rearing  of  pigs  and 
poultry, pulp and paper production, painting and cleaning). 
91  European  Commission,  proposal  for  a  revision  of  the  Industrial 
Emissions Directive, 4 April 2022. The revision of the IED is performed in 
parallel to the revision of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 on the European 
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR). 
92  EEA,  European  Industrial  Emissions  Portal  (data  retrieved  on  3 
November 2021). 

The  European  Environment  Agency  has  identified  two 
thermal power stations, Centrale Termoelettrica Federico 
II  and  Enel  Produzione  SpA,  which  are  among  the  30 
industrial  facilities  in  Europe  generating  the  highest 
absolute  damage  costs  from  emissions  of  the  main  air 
pollutants  and  greenhouse  gases  aggregated  over  the 
five  year  period  2013-201794.  The  iron  and  steel  plant, 

93  EEA,  LRTAP,  Air  pollutant  emissions  data  viewer  (Gothenburg 
Protocol, LRTAP Convention) 1990-2019 (data retrieved on 3 November 
2021). 

94  EEA  (2021).  Costs  of  air  pollution  from  European  industrial  facilities 
2008–2017. Eionet Report - ETC/ATNI 2020/4. The ranking is based on 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
Italy  23 

followed  by  installations  for  the  intensive  rearing  of 
poultry  or  pigs  (15%),  production  and  processing  of 
metals (15%) and the chemicals sector (10%); see Figure 
22. 

Figure 22: Number of inspections in IED installations in 
Italy in 201897 

ILVA  SpA  in  Taranto,  ranked  32  among  all  facilities  in 
201795. 

for 

The  environmental  burden  for  industrial  emissions  to 
water mainly result from the chemicals sector and other 
waste  management  activities 
total  nitrogen, 
phosphorous  and  total  organic  carbon;  from  refineries 
and  food  and  drink  industries  for  polycyclic  aromatic 
hydrocarbons  (PAH),  and  from  the  chemical  sector, 
ferrous  metals  and  other  waste  management  activities 
for heavy metals. The breakdown, based on E-PRTR data, 
is given in Figure 21. 

Figure 21: Relative releases to water from industry in 
Italy, 201896 

The  development  of  best  available  techniques  (BAT) 
reference  documents  (BREFs)  and  BAT  conclusions 
ensures  good  collaboration  between  stakeholders  and 
enables better implementation of the IED98. Since the last 
EIR  report,  BAT  Conclusions  were  adopted  for  waste 
incineration,  for  the  food,  drink  and  milk  industries  and 
for  surface  treatment  using  organic  solvents  including 
wood and wood products preservation with chemicals. 

The  Commission  relies  on  the  efforts  of  national 
competent  authorities  to  implement  the  legally  binding 
BAT  conclusions  and  associated  BAT  emission  levels  in 
environmental permits. This should result in considerable 
and continuous reductions in pollution. 

On 29 October 2018, Italy participated in the EIR peer to 
peer workshop on ammonia emissions from agriculture. 

In  2019,  Italy  had  priority  actions  to  review  permits  so 
that they comply with new adopted BAT conclusions and 
to  strengthen  control  and  enforcement  to  ensure 
compliance  The  Commission  gave  follow  up  to  the 
reporting by Italy to  the  EU  Registry, which did not  lead 
to  any  specific  findings.  The  Commission  is  currently 
verifying  the  reported  information  with  Italy  on  the 
permits granted for each installation in the scope of the 
IED.  In  2019,  Italy  also  received  a  priority  action  to 
address  emissions  to  air  from  the  ILVA  steel  mill  in 
Taranto, where there has been limited progress. 

2022 priority actions 

97 EEA, EU Registry, European Industrial Emissions Portal (data retrieved 
on 3 November 2021). 
98 European Commission BAT reference documents. 

The EU approach for 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  the  conditions  of 
compiled  with.  As  part  of 
these  permits  are 
environmental  inspection,  competent  authorities  carry 
out site visits at IED installations to take samples and to 
gather  necessary  information.  According  to  Article  23(4) 
of the IED, site visits must be carried out between once a 
year  and  once  every  3  years,  depending  on  the 
environmental  risks  posed  by  the  installations.  In  2018, 
Italy carried out  2 665 site visits, the majority of which to 
the  waste  management  sector,  including  landfills  (38%), 

the  approach  accounting  for  the  value  of  a  life  year  (VOLY),  table  41, 
(p.125). 
95  EEA  (2021).  Costs  of  air  pollution  from  European  industrial  facilities 
2008–2017. Eionet Report - ETC/ATNI 2020/4. The ranking is based on 
the  approach  accounting  for  the  value  of  a  life  year  (VOLY),  Table  44, 
(p.141). 
96 EEA, E-PRTR, European Industrial Emissions Portal. The heavy metals 
are  presented  both  as  a  weighted  sum  of  eco  toxicity  and  human 
toxicity  factors  to  illustrate  both  the  ecological  and  human  impact 
(based on USEtox) (data retrieved on 3 November 2021). 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                        
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
Italy  24 

190  of  these  EEPs  had  been  tested  over  the  last  three 
years.  The  summary 
in  Figure  24.  The 
is  shown 
establishment  of  EEPs  is  essential  to  enable  the  proper 
preparation  and  effective 
the 
necessary  actions  to  protect  the  environment  and  the 
population in the event of a major industrial accident. 

implementation  of 

Figure 24: Situation regarding EEP in Italy, 2018103 

  continue  addressing  emissions  to  air  from  the  ILVA 

steel mill in Taranto. 

Major industrial accidents prevention – 
SEVESO 

The  main  objectives  of  EU  policy  on  the  prevention  of 
major industrial accidents are to: 
(i)  control  major  accident  hazards  involving  dangerous 
substances, especially chemicals;  
(ii)  limit  the  consequences  of  such  accidents  for  human 
health and the environment;  
(iii)  continuously  improve  prevention,  preparedness  and 
response to major accidents.  
The  cornerstone  of  the  policy  is  Directive  2012/18/EU 
(the Seveso-III Directive)99.  

The overview below of industrial plants regulated by the 
Seveso-III Directive (hereafter ‘Seveso establishments’), is 
based on data reported to the eSPIRS database (2018)100 
and the Italy report  on implementation of the  Seveso-III 
Directive for the period 2015-2018101. 

In  Italy,  among  the  994  Seveso  establishments,  479  are 
categorised as lower-tier establishments (LTE) and 515 as 
upper-tier establishments (UTE)  – based on the quantity 
of hazardous substances likely to be present. The UTE are 
subject  to  more  stringent  requirements.  Changes  in  the 
number  of  Seveso  establishments  in  Italy  are  illustrated  
in Figure 23. 

The  information  to  the  public  referred  to  in  Annex  V  to 
the Seveso-III Directive – especially about how the public 
concerned  will  be  warned  in  the  event  of  a  major 
accident;  the  appropriate  behaviour  in  the  event  of  a 
major  accident,  and  the  date  of  the  last  site  visit  –  are 
permanently available for  30% of Seveso establishments 
in Italy. 

Figure 23: Number of Seveso establishments in Italy, 
2011, 2014 and 2018102  

The  share  of  UTE  for  which  information  on  safety 
measures  and  requisite  behaviours  were  actively  made 
available to the public over the last  years are presented 
in Figure 25. This is an important provision of the Seveso-
III Directive as the knowledge of these information by the 
public may reduce the consequences of a major industrial 
accident. 

According  to  Italy,  an  external  emergency  plan  (EEP)  is 
required for 512 UTEs. In 2018, 466 UTEs had an EEP and 

99  Directive  2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major-accident  hazards 
involving dangerous substances. 
100 European Commission, Seveso Plants Information Retrieval System.  
101 As provided for by Article 21(2) of the Seveso-III Directive 
102 European Commission, Assessment and summary of Member States’ 
implementation  reports  for 
Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU 
(implementing  Directive  2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident 
hazards involving dangerous substances), 2022. 

103 European Commission, Assessment and summary of Member States’ 
implementation  reports  for 
Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU 
(implementing  Directive  2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident 
hazards involving dangerous substances), 2022. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
Italy  25 

Figure 25: Share of UTE for which information on safety 
measures and requisite behaviours were actively made 
available to the public in Italy, 2011, 2014 and 2018104 

2022 priority actions 

 

strengthen  control  and  enforcement  to  ensure 
compliance  with  Seveso-III  Directive  provisions, 
especially  on  information  to  the  public  and  on 
EEPs. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive105  provides  for  a 
common  approach  to  avoid,  prevent  and  reduce  the 
harmful  effects  of  exposure  to  environmental  noise, 
although  it  does  not  set  noise  limits  as  such.  The  main 
instruments  it  uses  in  this  respect  are  strategic  noise 
mapping  and  planning.    A  relevant  2030  zero  pollution 
action  plan  target  is  a  reduction  by  30%  of  the  share  of 
people 
transport  noise 
compared to 2017.  

chronically  disturbed  by 

Excessive noise from aircraft, railways and roads is one of 
the main causes of environmental health‐related issues in 
the  EU.  It  produces  ischaemic  heart  disease,  stroke, 
interrupted sleep, cognitive impairment and stress106. 

In Italy, based on a limited  set of data107, environmental 
noise  is  estimated  to  cause  at  least  around  1  800 
premature  deaths  and  8  500  cases  of  ischaemic  heart 
disease  every  year108.  Moreover,  some  1  million  people 

104 European Commission, Assessment and summary of Member States’ 
implementation  reports  for 
Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU 
(implementing  Directive  2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident 
hazards involving dangerous substances), 2022. 

105 Directive 2002/49/EC 
106 WHO 2018, Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region 
107  For  further  information:  European  Environment  Agency,  Noise  Fact 
Sheets 2021. 
108  These  figures  are  an  estimation  by  the  European  Environmental 
Agency  based  on  :  (i)  the  data  reported  by  Member  States  on  noise 
exposure  covered  by  Directive  2002/49/EC;  (ii)  ETC/ATNI,  2021,  Noise 
indicators under the Environmental Noise Directive 2021: Methodology 
for  estimating  missing  data,  ETC/ATNI  Report  No  2021/06,  European 
Topic Centre on Air Pollution, Transport, Noise and Industrial Pollution; 

suffer from disturbed sleep.  In Italy, the share of people 
exposed  to  noise  increased  by  1%  between  2012  and 
2017.  On  the  basis  of  the  latest  full  set  of  information 
that 
of 
agglomerations, roads and railways is complete . 

noise  mapping 

analysed, 

been 

has 

In  the  2019  EIR,  Italy  received  two  priority  actions  to 
complete  noise  maps  and  action  plans,  where  there  has 
been  some  progress  as  detailed  above.  Therefore  no 
priority actions are proposed for 2022. 

Water quality and management 

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

is  managed 

Water Framework Directive 

The Water Framework Directive  109 is the cornerstone of 
the  EU  water  policy  in  the  21st  century110.  The  Water 
Framework  Directive 
related 
legislation111  set  the  framework  for  sustainable  and 
integrated water management, which aims at a high level 
of  protection  of  water  resources,  prevention  of  further 
deterioration and restoration to good status. 

and  other  water 

By March 2022, all Member States had to report the third 
generation  of  River  Basin  Management  Plans  (RBMPs) 
under the Water Framework  Directive. Italy has recently 
adopted  and  reported  its  third  generation  RBMPs.  The 
Commission will assess the reported status and progress, 
checking how the findings identified in the assessment of 
the second generation RBMPs112 have been addressed. 

(iii)  the  methodology  for  health  impact  calculations,  ETC/ACM,  2018, 
Implications of environmental noise on health and wellbeing in Europe, 
Eionet  Report  ETC/ACM  No  2018/10,  European  Topic  Centre  on  Air 
Pollution and Climate Change Mitigation. 
109  Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). 
110 EU Water Policy. 
111  This 
includes  the  Groundwater  Directive  (2006/118/EC),  the 
Environmental  Quality  Standards  Directive  (2008/105/EC),  the  Floods 
Directive  (2007/60/EC),  the  Bathing  Water  Directive  (2006/7/EC),  the 
Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive  (91/271/EEC),  the  new 
Drinking  Water  Directive  (2020/2184/EC),  the  Nitrates  Directive 
(91/676/EEC),  the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive  (2008/56/EC), 
the Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) and the new Regulation 
on minimum requirements for water reuse (2020/741). 
112  Detailed  information  can  be  found  in  the  5th  Report  from  the 
Commission on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive 
and the Floods Directive, as well as in the 2019 EIR. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                                                        
In  December  2021,  the  Commission  published  the  sixth  
Implementation  Report113,  which  provides  an  interim 
assessment  on  progress  of  the  implementation  of  the 
programmes of measures and on monitoring of the new 
priority  substances.  The  assessment  report  for  Italy114 
concluded that a comprehensive overview of progress in 
implementating Italy’s programme of measures (PoMs) is 
lacking,  given  that  reported data  only  refer  to  three  out 
of  Italy’s  eight  river  basin  districts  (RBDs)  (Eastern  Alps 
RBD,  Central  and  South  Apennines  RBDs).  However,  it  is 
noted  that  measures  have  started  in  five  of  the  eight 
RBDs,  and  in  other  areas,  all  planned  measures  have 
either started or been completed. 

Based  on  the  second  generation  RBMPs  reporting  and 
data published 2020115, in Italy 41.8% of all surface water 
bodies116  achieved  good  ecological  status  (with  18.4% 
unknown  status)  and  71.7%  have  good  chemical  status 
(with 19.8% in unknown status). For groundwater, 30.3% 
failed to achieve good chemical status and 19.0.% are in a 
poor quantitative status. 

Figure  26  below  illustrates  the  proportion  of  surface 
water  bodies  in  Italy  and  other  European  countries  that 
failed to achieve good ecological status. 

Figure 26: Proportion of surface water bodies (rivers, 
lakes, transitional and coastal waters) in less than good 
ecological status per River Basin District117 

Figure 27 shows  the proportion of surface water bodies 
in  Italy  and  other  European  countries  that  failed  to 
achieve good chemical status. For  Italy,  it is 8.5%, if one 
includes water bodies failing due to substances behaving 

113 See the 6th Implementation Report of the WFD and FD. 
114  European  Commission,  Directorate-General 
for  Environment, 
Assessment  of  Member  States’  progress  in  Programmes  of  Measures 
during  the  second  planning  cycle  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive. 
Member State: Italy, 2022. 
115 WISE Freshwater (europa.eu) 
116 river, lake, transitional, coastal, territorial 
117 EEA, 2021.  

Italy  26 

as  ubiquitous  PBTs  (persistent,  bio-accumulative,  toxic). 
Without uPBTs, 3% of surface water bodies fail to achieve 
good chemical status. 

Figure 27 Percentage of water bodies not achieving 
good chemical status118 

Under the IED framework, it should be stressed that Italy 
achieved  a  significant  reduction  over  the  last  decade 
(24.8%) in industrial releases of heavy metals like Cd, Hg, 
Ni,  Pb  and    (23.1%)  in  total  organic  carbon  (TOC)  to 
water119. 

total  volume  of  water  abstracted  annually 
The 
(corresponding to the 2019 baseline) in Italy from surface 
and  groundwater  sources is 39  253.45 hm3  120.  The 
percentage for water abstraction per sector is 42.15% for 
agriculture,  23.82%  for  public  water  supply,  14.66%  for 
electricity  cooling,  19.37% 
for  manufacturing,  as 
illustrated  in  Figure  28.  Italy  uses  a  register  to  monitor 
water  abstraction.  In  Italy,  abstraction  or  the  use  of 
public  water  without  a  permit  or  licence  issued  by  the 
competent  authority  is  prohibited.  There  is  a  specific 
administrative  procedure  to  follow  to  obtain  a  water 
abstraction licence, which culminates in the adoption of a 
specific  decision  (the  licence  award)  by  the  competent 
authority  for  the  geographical  area.   Italy  has  a  high 
leakage  rate  nationally  in  its  water  supply  system  (42% 
leakage rate in 2018), with issues particularly in the south 
of the country with Campania at 46.7%,and Sicily at 50% 
(ISTAT data). 

118 EEA, December 2019 
119 EEA, 2021 
120 EEA 2022 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Figure 28. Water abstraction per sector in Italy121  

In  Italy,  the  water  exploitation  index  plus  (WEI+)122  was 
15.58  in  2017,  which  is  below  the  20%  that  is  generally 
considered  as  an  indication  of  water  scarcity123  (Figure 
29).  Though  it  ranks  above  the  EU  average124  Italy  is 
ranked 6th (from high to low score) in the EU in terms of 
WEI+ . 

Figure 29 Water exploitation index plus (WEI+) inside EU 
in 2017125 

Italy  27 

(EUR  11.2  billion).  These  investments  are  accompanied 
by important reforms that aim to  improve the efficiency 
in the use and management of water resources and local 
public services. 

Italy  has  a  specific  issue  with  the  correct  application  of 
Article  4.7  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  to 
hydropower projects. 

Floods Directive 

As mentioned above, in December 2021 the Commission 
implementation  report  on  the 
published  the  sixth 
Directive. 
includes  a  review  and  update  of  the 
It 
preliminary  flood  risk  assessments  during  the  second 
cycle (2016-2021). 

to 

report126, 

the  assessment 

Italy  has 
According 
developed  a  detailed  national  database  of  flood  events 
and  their  impacts,  providing  extensive  information  for 
analysis  of  past  floods.  Italy  also  used  a  broad  range  of 
criteria  to  identify  potentially  significant  future  floods 
and  presented  a  clear,  step-by-step  process 
for 
designating  areas  of  potential  significant  flood  risk 
(APSFRs)  based  on  past  and  future  flood  analyses. 
However,  the  assessment  identified  that  Italy  did  not 
include  clear  thresholds  for  past  significant  floods  and 
long-term  developments,  other  than  climate  change, 
when 
flood 
consequences. 

identifying  potential  adverse 

future 

The  increasing  demand  for  water  for  multiple purposes 
and the intensification of severe weather conditions due 
to  climate  change  have  put  a  significant  strain  on 
freshwater  supplies 
Italy.  To  overcome  water 
shortages, Italy has paid special attention to water reuse 
in  recent  years  and  treated  wastewater  has  been 
considered  as  a  potential  alternative  to  water  supply. 
Italy’s RRP supports the green transition by planning key 
investments  to  improve  waste  and  water  management 

in 

121  European  Environment  Agency,  Water  abstraction  by  source  and 
economic sector in Europe, 2022. 
122 The Water Exploitation Index plus (WEI+) is a measure of total fresh 
water  use  as  a  percentage  of  the  renewable  freshwater  resources 
(groundwater and surface water) at a given time and place. It quantifies 
how  much  water  is  abstracted  and  how  much  water  is  returned  after 
use to the environment. 
123 Eurostat 
124 By May 2022, the EEA will develop seasonal WEI+ at river basin and 
NUTS2  level,  which  provide  a  more  complete  picture  of  water  stress 
and water scarcity for each Member State. 
125 EEA, Water exploitation Index Plus, 2022.  

Italy  has  not  yet  adopted  and  reported  the  second 
generation  of  flood  risk  management  plans  (FRMPs) 
under  the  Floods  Directive.  The  European  Commission 
will assess progress since the first flood risk management 
plans and publish a new report, as in 2019. 

Project  examples  to  deal  with  flooding  have  been 
presented  in  the  EIR  2017  and  2019.  The  total  damage 
caused  by  October-November  2019  flooding,  including 
Venice,  was  EUR  5.6  billion,  for  which  a  solidarity  fund 
application 
is  being  processed.  The  partnership 
agreement  for  2021-27  notes  that  1.3  million  people 
(2.2%  of  the  population)  live  in  areas  at  risk  from 
landslides)  and  6.2  million  people  (10.4%  of  the 
population)  live in areas with a  medium risk  of flooding. 
Most of the funds for water in the RRP are earmarked to 
manage hydrogeological risks (EUR 8.5 billion), which will 
be accompanied by appropriate governance reforms. The 
RRP  and  cohesion  policy  investments  favour  nature-
based solutions as a default approach. 

126  European  Commission,  Directorate-General 
for  Environment, 
Assessment  of  Second  Cycle  Preliminary  Flood  Risk  Assessments  and 
Identification  of  Areas  of  Potential  Significant  Flood  Risk  under  the 
Floods Directive : Member State : Italy, 2022. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
                                                                 
On 29-31 May 2019,  Italy  participated in a  study visit to 
Hungary  under 
to  peer  visit  on 
hydrometeorological monitoring and on an early warning 
system for natural hazards. 

the  EIR  peer 

Drinking Water Directive 

On  the  Drinking  Water  Directive127,  no  new  assessment 
of the quality of drinking water is available since the 2019 
EIR. The quality of drinking water in Italy is an issue with 
an infringement for exceeding arsenic and fluoride levels 
in Lazio. The recast Directive  128entered into force on 12 
January 2021, Member States have until 12 January 2023 
to  transpose  it  into  their  national  legal  system.  Italy  will 
have to comply with these reviewed quality standards. 

Bathing Water Directive 

On the Bathing Water Directive, Figure 30 shows that in 
2020, out of 630 bathing waters,  89.2% were of excellent 
quality in Italy129. Figure 31 shows the evolution. 

Figure 30:   Bathing water quality in Europe in the 2020 
season130 

Italy  28 

Figure 31: Bathing water quality 2017-2020131 

Nitrates Directive 

The  latest  Commission  report  on  the  implementation  of 
the  Nitrates  Directive132,  for  2016-2019133,  warns  that 
nitrates are still causing harmful pollution to water in the 
EU.  Excessive  nitrates  in  water  are  harmful  to  both 
human health and ecosystems, causing oxygen depletion 
and  eutrophication.  Where  national  authorities  and 
farmers  have  cleaned  up  waters,  it  has  had  a  positive 
impact on drinking water supply and biodiversity, and on 
the sectors such as fisheries and tourism that depend on 
them.  Nevertheless,  excessive  fertilisation  remains  a 
problem in many parts of the EU. 

According to the latest report  on implementation of the 
Nitrates Directive134, referring to the change between the 
periods  2008-2011  and  2016-2019,  groundwater  quality 
has slightly improved since the previous reporting period. 
The  percentage  of  stations  reaching  or  exceeding  40  or 
50 mg nitrates per litre decreased from 5.8% to 5.6% and 
from  12.7%  to  12.6%,  respectively.  As  regards  the 
situation  concerning  nitrate  concentrations  in  surface 
water  was  stable  during  the  period  2008-2011  at  0.3% 
(exceeding 40 mg nitrate per litre), but it increased from 
0.2%  to  0.6%  (exceeding  40  mg  nitrate  per  litre)  during 
the period 2016-2019 . There are hotspots, with a nitrate 
concentration  above  50  mg/litre  with  a  few  hotspots 
where the levels are increasing. A high number of waters 
that  are  found  to  be  eutrophic.  A  number  of  ground 

127 OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 32–54. 
128 OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, p. 1–62. 
129 EEA, 2021. State of bathing waters in 2020 – Italy country report. 
130 EEA – European Bathing Water Quality in 2020, 2022. 

131 EEA, European Bathing Water Quality in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. 
132 Implementation of the Nitrates Directive in the EU. 
133 Last Implementation Report 2016-2019. 
134Annex  23  to  the  Staff  Working  Document  accompanying  the  report 
on  the  implementation  of  the  Nitrates  Directive  for  the  period  2016-
2019 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
water  monitoring  stations  with  nitrate  concentrations 
above  50  mg/litre  and  a  high  level  of  surface  waters 
found  to  be  eutrophic  are  located  outside  the  nitrate 
vulnerable  zones  (NVZ).  Several  regions  have  received 
derogations in the past (mentioned in the EIR 2019). 

NVZs  that  were  lacking,  where  Italy  has  made  limited 
progress.  The  last  priority  was  to  emphasise  climate 
change  considerations 
in  the  FRMPs;  here  too  the 
Commission is currently making an assessment. 

2022 priority actions 

Italy  29 

Urban Wastewater treatment Directive 

Italy has, over the years, encountered serious difficulties 
in meeting its obligations under the Urban Waste Water 
Treatment  Directive  (UWWTD).  Overall,  in  Italy,  the 
compliance rate is 56% lower than the EU average (76%) 
in 2018135, see Figure 32. 

Figure  32:  The  proportion  of  urban  waste  water  that 
meets  all  requirements  of  the  UWWTD  (collection, 
biological treatment, biological treatment with nitrogen 
and/or  phosphorus  removal)  in  compliant  urban  areas 
of the UWWTD (‘compliance rate’)136 

Despite  the  improvement  in  compliance  over  the  years, 
for  which  the  use  of  EU  funding  has  been  fundamental, 
incomplete  implementation  of  the  UWWTD  has  led  to 
several  rulings  of  the  CJEU  against  Italy.  A  total  of  895 
agglomerations  have  been  found  to  be  in  breach  of  the 
EU  Directive,  affecting  a  population  equivalent  of  over 
26.7 million people. 

An example of good practice has been to use the EIR peer 
to peer tool for hosting a workshop (CINSEDO hosted) on 
exchanging  best  practices  with  Belgium  (Flanders)  on 
urban wastewater treatment on 26 October  2020, with a 
follow-up event on sludge on 23 June 2021. 

In  the  2019  EIR  Italy  had  four  priority  actions.  Firstly  to 
harmonise different regional approaches to pressures for 
the Water Framework Directive; this cannot be evaluated 
given  the  lack   of an assessment  of the  third generation  
RBMPs.  The  second  was  to  increase  metering  for  water 
abstraction  and  review  permitting  especially  in  water 
scarce  areas;  here  Italy    has  made  some  progress  with 
regard to the RRP. The third priority was to designate the 

135 WISE 
136 European Commission, WISE Freshwater, 2021. 

  New physical modifications of water bodies should be 
line  with  Article  4(7)  of  the  Water 
assessments 
adequate  mitigation 

in 
assessed 
Framework  Directive. 
alternative  options 
measures have to be considered. 

these 

and 

In 

from  agriculture 

  Continue  current  efforts  to  further  reduce  nitrates 
in  groundwater.  The 
pollution 
Commission  recommends  that 
Italy  reviews  the 
designation of NVZs and include groundwater stations 
polluted  or  at  risk  and  areas  that  drain  into  waters 
that  are  eutrophic  when  agriculture  pressure 
is 
significant. 

  Complete implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
for  all  agglomerations,  by 

Treatment  Directive 
building up the necessary infrastructure. 

Chemicals 

The EU seeks to ensure that chemicals are produced and 
used  in  a  way  that  minimises  any  significant  adverse 
effects  on  human  health  and  the  environment.  In 
October  2020,  the  Commission published  its  chemicals 
strategy  for  sustainability 
'Towards  a  Toxic-Free 
Environment'137  which  led  to  some  systemic  changes  in 
EU  chemicals  legislation.  The  strategy is  part  of  the  EU's 
zero-pollution  ambition  –  a  key  commitment  of  the 
European Green Deal. 

- 

legislation138 provides  baseline 
The  EU’s  chemicals 
protection for human health and the environment. It also 
ensures  stability  and  predictability 
for  businesses 
operating within the internal market. 

Since 2017, the Commission has gathered information on 
the  enforcement  of  Regulation  on  the  Registration, 
Evaluation,  Authorisation  and  Restriction  of Chemicals 
(‘the  REACH  Regulation’)  and 
the  Regulation  on 
Classification, Labelling and Packaging (‘CLP Regulation’). 
In  December  2020,  the  Commission  assessed  the 
Member  States  reports  on  the  implementation  and 
enforcement  of  these  Regulations139,  in  line  with  Article 
117(1)  of  the  REACH  Regulation  and  Article  46(2)  of  the 

137 COM(2020) 667 final. 
138 REACH: OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p.1. -  CLP: OJ L 252, 31.12.2006, (p.1). 

139 European Commission, Final Report, on the operation of REACH and 
CLP, Final report_REACH-CLP MS reporting_2020.pdf (europa.eu) 

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CLP  Regulation.  According  to  the  latest  available  data, 
national enforcement structures have not changed much. 
However,  it  is  apparent  from  this  report  that  there  are 
still many disparities in implementing the REACH and CLP 
Regulations,  notably  on    law  enforcement.  Recorded 
compliance levels seem to be quite stable over time, but 
with a slight worsening trend, which is likely to be due to 
enforcement  authorities  being  more  effective 
in 
detecting  non-compliant  products/companies  and  more 
non-compliant products being put on the EU market.  

In August 2021, the Commission published a  measurable 
assessment  of  the  enforcement140  of  the  two  main  EU 
regulations on chemicals using a set of indicators tracking 
different aspects of enforcement. 

Responsibility  for  checking  compliance  with  both  REACH 
and  CLP  in  Italy  rests  with  the  Ministry  of  Health-DG 
Health Prevention and with the regions and autonomous 
provinces141. 

Italy has devised and fully implemented both REACH and 
CLP enforcement strategies142. 

As  a  rule,  all  infringements  of  REACH  are  classed  as 
‘serious’  or  ‘very  serious’  environmental  administrative 
offences.  If  the  infringement  is  sufficiently  serious,  the 
competent  authority  may  decide  to 
impose  further 
penalties  in  addition  to  a  fine.  That  authority  may  also, 
where  necessary, order  the  provisional  seizure  of  assets 
and documents. 

In  Italy,  there  were  200  inspectors  distributed  in  21 
regions  (also  responsible  for  other  regulations)  in  2019. 
There  is  an  annual  enforcement  plan  and  priorities  are 
based on local needs and competent authority requests, 
including  critical  products  identified  in  the  EU  RAPEX 
system.  Italy  has  one  of  the  lowest  shares  of  non-
compliance cases in the EU as shown in the Figure 33143. 

Italy  30 

Figure 33: Percentage % of non-compliance cases out of 
the total number of REACH and CLP controls during 
2019 per Member State and compared to the EU 
average144 

Italy  has  not  yet  ratified  the  Stockholm  Convention  on 
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). 

Italy had a general priority action in 2019 on signing and 
ratifying outstanding international agreements. 

2022 priority actions 

  upgrade 

the 

implementation  and  enforcement 
administrative capacities towards a  zero tolerance to 
non-compliances; 

  ratify the Stockholm Convention on POPs. 

140  European  Commission,  REACH  and  CLP  enforcement:  EU  level 
enforcement indicators 
141 European Commission, Final Report, on the operation of REACH and 
CLP, p. 70 
142 European Commission, Final Report, on the operation of REACH and 
CLP, p. 76 
143 European Commission, Final Report, on the operation of REACH and 
CLP, p. 79 

144 European Commission, Final Report, on the operation of REACH and 
CLP, p. 87-88, 2022. 

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4. Climate action 

Italy  31 

investments  and  reforms  in  line  with  its  current  target 
under  the  Effort  Sharing  Regulation.  The  work  is  also 
consistent with the report Italy’s Long-term Strategy on 
Reducing  Greenhouse  Gas  Emissions.  According  to  this 
document, Italy is on track to reach climate neutrality in 
line with the EU’s  target for 2050. 

In  its  RRP,  Italy  allocates  37.5  %  of  the  plan  to  climate 
objectives and outlines crucial reforms and investments 
to  further  the  transition  to  a  more  sustainable,  low-
carbon  and  climate-resilient  economy.  Investments  are 
planned 
in  clean  energy  production  and  energy 
efficiency, sustainable mobility and waste management 
(more details in section 5).  

Italy  has  adopted  it  national  adaptation  strategy  in 
2015. To implement the strategy, it is drafting a national 
adaptation  plan  (NAP)  with  the  aim  of  issuing    a  more 
operational and concrete document to support national, 
regional, and local institutions in drawing up their own 
sectoral and local adaptation paths. 

Italy’s  greenhouse  gas  emissions  have  decreased  since 
1990 levels, although by less than the EU average. Both 
emissions per GDP and emissions per capita are slightly 
below the EU average. 

Figure 34: Total greenhouse gas emissions (incl. 
international aviation) in Italy, 1990-2020 

industry, 

law  also 

transport, 

In  line  with  the  Paris  Agreement  and  as  part  of  the 
European  Green  Deal,  the  European  Climate  Law  sets 
the EU target of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and 
reducing  greenhouse  gas  (GHG)  emissions  by  55%  by 
2030  compared  to  1990.  The 
limits  the 
contribution  that  carbon  removals  can  make  towards 
emission  reductions  in  2030  to  ensure  a  sufficient 
mitigation effort.  
The  EU  and  its  Member  States  submitted  updated 
Nationally  Determined  Contribution  (NDC)  to  the 
UNFCCC in December 2020.  
The EU is working across all  sectors and policies to cut 
GHG  emissions  and  make  the  transition  to  a  climate-
neutral and sustainable economy, as well as addressing 
the unavoidable consequences of climate change.  
EU  climate  legislation  incentivises  emissions  reductions 
from  power  generation, 
the 
maritime sector and fluorinated gases (F-gases) used in 
products.  
For  road  transport,  EU  legislation  requires  the  GHG 
intensity  of  vehicle  fuels  to  be  cut  by  6%  by  2020 
compared  to  2010145  and  sets  binding  GHG  emission 
standards for different vehicle categories146.  
Under  the  F-gas  Regulation,  the  EU’s  F-gas  emissions 
will  be  cut  by  two  thirds  by  2030  compared  with  2014 
levels. 
From  2021,  emissions  and  removals  of  GHGs  from 
LULUCF  have  been 
in  the  EU  emission-
included 
reduction efforts.  
The  EU  adaptation  policy  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
European  Green  Deal.  From  2021,  Member  States  are 
required  to  report  on  their  national  adaptation 
policies147, as the EU Climate Law recognises adaptation 
as a key component of the long-term global response to 
climate  change.  Member  States  will  be  required  to 
adopt  national  strategies,  and  the  EU  will  regularly 
assess  progress  as  part  of  its  overall  governance  on 
climate  action.  The  updated  EU  adaptation  strategy, 
published  in  February  2021,  sets  out  how  the  EU  can 
adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and 
become climate resilient by 2050. 

Key national climate policies and strategies  

Effort sharing target  

Italy has an integrated national energy and climate plan 
(NECP)  for  the  period    2021-2030,  which  includes 

For emissions not covered by the EU’s emission trading 
scheme  (ETS),  Member  States  have  binding  national 
targets  under  the  Effort  Sharing  legislation148.  Italy’s 

145  The Fuel  Quality  Directive (Directive 98/70/EC)  sets  strict  quality 
requirements  for  fuels  used  in  road  transport  in  the  EU  to  protect 
human  health  and  the  environment,  and  to  make  road  travel  across 
the EU safer. 
146 Directive 98/70/EC. 
147 Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. 

148 Regulation (EU) 2018/842. This is for sectors currently not covered 
by  the  existing  EU  emissions  trading  sector  (typically  emissions  from 
the  buildings,  road  transport,  small  industry,  waste,  agriculture  and 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
 
Italy  32 

target  under  the  EU  legislation  is  to  reduce  emissions 
not  covered  by  the  EU  emissions  trading  system  (such 
as  buildings,  road  transport,  agriculture,  small  industry 
and waste) by 13% by 2020 and 33% by 2030 (see Figure 
35).  The  country’s  non-ETS  emissions  in  2019  were 
lower than its 2020 target. Italy has reached its EU-level 
and domestic greenhouse gas reduction targets. 

Under  its  NECP,  Italy  intends  to  achieve  slightly  more 
reductions than its current non-ETS target for 2030 of a 
33% reduction.  

Figure 35: Emissions and targets under the Effort 
Sharing Decision/ Effort Sharing Regulation in Italy, 
2020 and 2030 as percentage change from 2005 

target of 6% by 2020. There are several types of action 
that  Member  States  can  take 
in  this  regard,  for 
example,  by  further  expanding  the  use  of  electricity  in 
road  transport,  supporting  the  use  of  biofuels, 
in 
the 
particular 
development  and  deployment  of  renewable  fuels  of 
non-biological  origin  and  reducing  upstream  emissions 
before refining processes. 

incentivizing 

advanced 

biofuels, 

In 2019, road transport emissions accounted for 22% of 
total  greenhouse  gas  emissions  of  Italy.  Emissions  in 
transport decreased by 18% compared to 2005.  

Figure  37:    Greenhouse  gas  emissions  by  sector  in 
Italy149  –  historical  emissions  1990-2020,  projections 
2021-2030150 

Figure 36: Emissions, annual emission allocations 
(AEAs) and accumulated surplus/ deficit of AEAs under 
the Effort Sharing Decision in Italy, 2013-2020 

Key sectoral developments 

In  road  transport,  the  GHG  intensity  of  vehicle  fuels  in 
Italy decreased by 3.7% from 2010 to 2019. The country 
must act swiftly to meet the current EU-wide reduction 

non-CO2 emissions from other sectors). The proposed national target 
will continue to cover this scope. 

Buildings  are  one  of  the  biggest  emitting  sources  in 
Italy.  Most  of  the  14.5  million  buildings  were  built 
before criteria on energy savings and the corresponding 
legislation  were  adopted.  More  energy-  efficient 
buildings  will  yield    substantial  energy  savings  and 
contribute to the post-COVID recovery of the economy. 
See Figure 37. 

In the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) 
sector,  Italy  projects  a  decrease  in  net  removals  by 
2030. Reported quantities under the Kyoto Protocol for 
the LULUCF sector in Italy show average net removals of 
-38.5  Mt  CO2-eq  for  the  period  2013-2019.  In  this 
regard,  Italy  contributes  with  11.2%  to  the  annual 
average  sink  of  -344.9  Mt  CO2-eq  of  the  EU-27. 
Accounting  for  the  same  period  depicts  net  credits  of, 

149 The sectors in the figure correspond to the following IPCC sectors: 
Energy  supply:  1A1,  1B  and  1C.  Energy  use 
in  manufacturing 
industries:  1A2.  Industrial  processes  and  product  use:  2.  Transport: 
1A3.  Other  energy  use:  1A4,  1A5  and  6.  Agriculture:  3.  Waste:  5. 
International aviation: 1.D.1.a. 
150 EEA, Total GHG trends and projections. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                      
 
 
                                                                 
Italy  33 

on  average,  -15.7  Mt  CO2-eq,  which  corresponds  to 
13.6% of the EU-27 accounted sink of -115.0 Mt CO2-eq. 
See Figure 38. 

Figure 38: Reported and accounted emissions and 
removals from LULUCF in Italy151 

  enhance  sustainable  transport,  especially  urban, 
local and regional sustainable transport, such as the 
metro  system,  trams,  cycling  and  regional  railways, 
and electrification of transport; 
Increase the uptake of renewable energy; 
improve  energy  efficiency 
efforts are needed to simplify renovation projects; 

in  buildings.  Further 

 
 

  decarbonise industry; 
 

improve rail connections to ports as ports can play a 
key  role  in  making  Italy  a  sustainable  logistics  hub 
linked  by  long-distance  rail  connections  and  using 
digital cargo clearance.  

Use of revenues from the auctioning of EU 
ETS allowances 

Total  revenue  from    auctioning    emission  allowances 
under the EU ETS between  2012-2021 were nearly EUR 
8.9  billion.  Over  50%  of  the  auctioning  revenues  was 
spent on climate and energy purposes.  In Italy, the law 
guarantees that 50% of the revenues is used for climate 
and energy but only after the year has ended, which can 
cause  underreported  spending.  The  remaining 
is 
allocated  to  the  general  budget,  which  funds  climate 
and energy projects, as well as other initiatives. 

2022 priority actions  

151  The  differences  between  reported  and  accounted  emissions  from 
LULUCF  under  the  Kyoto  Protocol  are  described  in  the  ‘explanatory 
note on LULUCF – accounted and reported quantities under the Kyoto 
Protocol’.   

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
Part II: Enabling framework: implementation tools 

5.  Financing 

Italy  34 

Environmental investment needs in the 
European Union 

Financing  environmental  measures  is  essential  for  their 
success.  Although  most  financing  comes  from  national 
sources, various EU funds contribute significantly, helping 
to close the financing gaps.  

Post-2020,  environmental  implementation  will  also  be 
supported by the EU’s  COVID-19 Recovery  Fund (via  the 
RRF) and the ‘do no significant harm’ principle which runs 
across the EU budget. The renewed commitments made 
at  COP26  (Glasgow,  October-November  2021)  and  the 
Biodiversity  Convention  (April-May  2022)152  will  also  be 
reflected in the EU budget. 

Overall environmental investment gaps (EU27) 

The EU’s  investment needs for the green transition cover 
a  range  of  interlinked  areas.  The  additional  investment 
needs  to  the  baselines  (i.e.  the  gap  between  what  is 
needed  and  what  is  forecast  to  be  invested  if  no 
additional  action 
is  taken)  for  climate,  energy  and 
transport  were  estimated  at  EUR  390  billion  a  year  
(EU27)153, with a further EUR 130 billion to meet the EU's 
core  environmental  objectives  154. The  costs  of  climate 
change  adaptation  can  also  be  significant,  and  are 
estimated to reach a total of EUR 35-62 billion (narrower 
scope) or EUR 158-518 billion (wider scope) per year  155. 
Those  investment  needs  to  reflect  the  implementation 
objectives  to  2020  and  to  2030  (except  for  climate 
adaptation, the costs of which are expected to last over a 
longer time horizon).   

A  preliminary  update  of  the  EU’s  core  environmental 
investment  gap  is  provided  in  Table  1156.  Almost  40%  of 
the  environmental  investment  needs  relate  to  dealing 
with pollution, which account for nearly two-thirds of the 
investment  gap  if  combined  with  water  management. 
The  investment  gap  in  circular  economy  and  waste  is 

estimated  to  be  between  EUR  13-28  billion  a  year,  
depending  on  the  levels  of  circularity  implemented.  The 
annual  biodiversity  financing  gap  is  estimated  at  around 
EUR 20 billion. 

Table 1 - Estimated breakdown of the EU’s 
environmental investment needs, by environmental 
objective 

Estimated investment gap (EU-27, 
per year)  

Environmental 
objective 

Pollution  prevention 
& control 

Water  management 
& industries 

Circular  economy  & 
waste 

EUR billion 

 42.8 

 26.6 

 13.0  

Biodiversity 
ecosystems 157 

& 

 21.5 

R & D & I and other 

Total 

 6.2 

 110.1 

 % 

 39% 

 24% 

 12% 

 20% 

 6% 

 100% 

EU  funding will  also  help  bridge  the  investment  gaps 
when accounting for the new commitments made under 
the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate 
Change  at  the  COP  26  (Glasgow,  31  October  to  12 
November  2021),  or the  Biodiversity  Convention  COP15 
(April-May  2022),  under  nature-based  solutions  and 
investments158. 

Environmental investment needs in Italy 

There  is  a  clear  shift  of  investment  priorities  in  Italy  to 
supporting  climate  policies,  as  can  be  seen  in  the  RRP. 

152 The Convention on Biological Diversity 
153 SWD(2021)621 
154 SWD(2020) 98 final/2. 
155 SWD(2018)292. 
156  With  decreases  due  to  Brexit  and  some  reconciliation  among  the 
objectives.  Source:  DG  Environment  ‘Study  supporting  EU  green 
investment needs analysis”’ (ongoing, 2021-2023) and DG Environment 
internal analysis ’Environmental investment needs and financing in the 
EU’s green transition’ July 2020. 

157  To  meet  the  needs  of  the  2030  Biodiversity  Strategy  (Natura 2000, 
green infrastructure), at least EUR 20 billion a year should be unlocked 
for  nature  (COM/2020/380  final)  while  to  fully  cover  the  strategy 
(including  restoration)  EUR  30-35  billion  may  be  needed,  indicating  a 
gap  of  EUR  10-20  billion  a  year  compared  to  current  baseline 
expenditure. 
158  The  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (cbd.int); Post-2020  Global 
Biodiversity Framework, IUCN 

Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
 
                                                                 
The  focus  is  on  sustainable  energy  and  transport  to 
reduce greenhouse gases. There is also much unfinished 
business  in  Italy  with  investments  needed  in  water  and 
waste  infrastructure,  biodiversity  and  nature.  Climate 
investment  priorities  address  the  needs  or  ‘investment 
gaps’  in  a  wide  set  of  economic  sectors  such  as  energy 
renovation  of  housing,  e-mobility  and  transportation 
infrastructure. 

The  following  environmental  investment  needs  have 
been identified by sector: 

Pollution prevention & control 

The  EU’s  first  Clean  Air  Outlook159  under  the  clean  air 
programme estimated that the total air pollution control 
costs  for  Italy  to  reach  the  NECD  emission  reduction 
requirements  (ERRs)160  by  2030  amount  to  EUR  7  382 
million  per  year,  including  EUR  5  588  million  for  capital 
investment (assuming the achievement the 2030 climate 
and energy targets are met). 

The EU’s second Clean Air Outlook161 suggested that, the 
EU  would  largely  achieve  the  reductions  of  air  pollutant 
emissions  that  correspond  to  the  obligations  under  the 
NEC  Directive  for  2030  if:  (i)  all  relevant  legislation 
adopted  up  to  2018  (including  all  air  pollution  and  the 
2030 climate and energy targets set in 2018) delivered its 
full  benefits  and  (ii)  if  Member  States  also  implemented 
the  measures  announced  in  their  NAPCPs.  The  only 
exception is for ammonia (NH3) for 15 Member States162.  

Water management 

in 

According  to  the  OECD  study  ‘Financing  a  Water  Secure 
Future’  (2022)163,  despite  near  universal  public  water 
Italy 
supply  connection  rates,  water  availability 
remains  an  issue  in  some  regions.  Similarly,  compliance 
with  wastewater  treatment  standards  (which  is  below 
the  EU  average)  belies  significant  regional  disparities  in 
service coverage and levels. There are four infringements 
open for wastewater, and fines are being paid for one of 
them.  Italy  faces  significant  future  flood  risks,  especially 
in  northern  river  basins.  Italy  suffers  medium-to-high 
water  stress,  leading  to  intense  use  of  water.  Northern 

159 International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Progress 
towards  the  achievement  of  the  EU's  air  quality  and  emissions 
objectives, 2018.   
160  Covering  the  reductions  of  and  the  emission  ceilings  for  5 
atmospheric  pollutants,  SOx,  NOx,  PM2.5,  NH3  and  VOC  by  2030, 
compared  to  2005.  Source:  Progress  towards  the  achievement  of  the 
EU’s  air  quality  and  emissions  objectives, 
(p.29). 
Requirements are based Directive (EU) 2016/2284.  
161  COM(2021)  3  final.  International  Institute  for  Applied  Systems 
Analysis  (IIASA),  Support  to  the  development  of  the   Second  Clean  Air 
Outlook, 2020 and Annex.   
162 N.B. the Commission’s June 2020 NAPCP review (in its Annex III) did 
not  include  data  for  Italy  on  the  risk  of  non-compliance  emission 
reduction commitment for 2020 -2029 due to late submission.  
163 OECD, Financing a Water Secure Future, 2022. 

IIASA  2018. 

Italy  35 

regions,  in  general,  receive  more  rain  than  southern 
regions  and  furthermore,  70%  of  Italy’s  groundwater  is 
located  under  northern  regions.  Many  southern  regions 
rely  on  water  imported  from  farther  north.  EU  funding 
has  provided  a  significant  share  of  public  funding  over 
the past decade164. It is also estimated that Italy will need 
to invest an additional cumulative EUR 12 487 million by 
2030  over  baseline 
levels  for  drinking  water  and 
sanitation  –  corresponding  to  around  EUR  1  250  million 
investment  need  (capital  expenditure)  per  year,  with 
around  90%  relating  to  wastewater  165.  Moreover,  the 
recent  6th  Water  Framework  Directive  and  Floods 
Directive  Implementation  Report166  and  the  financial  - 
economic  study167  accompanying  it,  are  also  a  relevant 
source of information in this domain. 

The  Italian  authorities  also  identified  high  investment 
needs  for  the  coming  period  to  reach  compliance  with 
the UWWTD with EUR 184 billion168. This covers works on 
wastewater 
treatment  plants,  with  an  estimated 
investment  cost  of  EUR  151  billion  and  works  on 
collecting  systems  and/or  IAS  (Individual  and  other 
Appropriate  Systems)  with  a  estimated  investment  cost 
of EUR 33 billion169. 

Waste & circular economy 

reprocesses,  bio-waste 

According to a Commission study170 to meet the recycling 
targets  for  municipal  waste  and  packaging  waste,  Italy 
still  needs  to  invest  an  additional  EUR  2  304  million 
(around  330  million  per  year)  between  2021-
2027   (beyond  the    baseline  investment)  in  collection, 
recycling 
treatment,  waste 
sorting  facilities  and  digitilising  waste  registries  .   This 
facility 
includes 
replacement of EUR 348 million for 2021-2027. However, 
these  does  not  cover  the  investment  needed  for  other 
key  waste  streams  (plastics,  textiles,  furniture)  or  to 
unlock  a  higher  uptake  of  circularity  and  waste 
prevention across the economy. 

for  bio-waste 

treatment 

costs 

164 OECD, Financing a Water Secure Future, 2022. 
165  OECD,  Italy-  Country  fact  sheet-  Financing  Water  Supply,  Sanitation 
and Flood Protection. 
166  Water  Framework  Directive  and  Flood  Directive  Implementation 
Reports – DG Environment – European Commission. 

167  European  Commission,  Directorate-General 
for  Environment, 
Economic data related to the implementation of the Water Framework 
Directive and the Flood Directuve and the financing of measures, Final 
report. Publications Office, 2021. 

168 European Commission 10th UWWTD Implementation report, 2020 
169 The methodologies used by the OECD and the Italian authorities for 
estimates  are  different  e.g.  works  on  IAS  and  for  dealing  with  storm 
water overflows are taken into account differently. 
170  European  Commission,  Study  on  investment  needs  in  the  waste 
sector and on the financing of municipal waste management in Member 
States, 2019, (p.61). 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Biodiversity & ecosystems 

The  priority  action  frameworks  (PAF)171  for  Italy  shows 
that  nature  protection  costs  (including  Natura  2000)  in 
2021-2027 are EUR 3 481 million - or EUR 497.3 million172 
per  year  (with  225.7  million  annual  running  costs  and 
271.7  annual  one-off  costs).  This  excludes  additional 
costs  to 
implement  the  2030  biodiversity  strategy, 
including on increased protection and restoration. 

EU environmental funding 2014-2020 

The  multiannual  financial  framework  (MFF)  for  2014-
2020  allocated  almost  EUR  960  billion  (in  commitments, 
2011  prices)173  for  the  EU.  The  commitment  to  green 
transition  included  a  20%  climate  spending  target  and 
funding  opportunities  for  the  environment  under  the 
European  Structural  and  Investment  (ESI)  Funds174.  The 
2014-2020 budget was subsequently topped up with over 
EUR  50  billion  (current  prices)  from  the  REACT-EU 
programme  for  cohesion  policy  action  against  COVID-
19175. 

Italy  received  EUR  59.7  billion  from  the  ESI  Funds  in  
2014-2020 to invest in job creation and a sustainable and 
healthy  European  economy  and  environment.  The 
planned  direct  environmental  investment  amounted  to 
EUR  4.3  billion  with  a  further  EUR  1.8  billion  in  indirect 
environmental investment,  bringing the  total to EUR 6.1 
billion.  Figure  39  gives  an  overview  of  (planned) 
individual  ESI  Funds  earmarked  for  Italy  (EU  amounts, 
without  national  amounts).  The  REACT-EU  investments 
include  improving  sustainable  transport  and  improving 
districts, 
water 
distrettualizzazione)  as  well  as  supporting  sustainable 
productive processes and circular economy. 

(reducing 

leakages 

supply 

by 

Italy  36 

Figure 39: 2014-2020 ESI Funds allocated to Italy, 
including environmental investments176 

Table 2: 2014-2020 environmental investments under 
the ESI Funds in Italy177 

Instrument 

Under Cohesion policy (ERDF) 
Direct environmental investments 
water 
waste 
air quality 
biodiversity and nature 
land rehabilitation 
climate and risk management 
Indirect environmental investments 
renewable energy 
energy efficiency 
other energy178 

Allocations  
for the environment  
(EUR million) 

4 424.6 
2 615.8 
991.5 
223.1 
7.6 
154.9 
164.0 
1 074.7 
1 808.9 
27.6 
488.6 
66.9 

171 In Italy there are PAFs per region and autonomous provinces, i.e., 21 
in total. 
172  The  N2K  Group,  Strengthening  investments  in  Natura  2000  and 
improving  synergies  with  EU  funding 
instruments  report  to  the 
European Commission, 2021. 
173 Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013. 
174  The  European  Structural  and  Investment  (ESI)  Funds  include  the 
European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  the  Cohesion  Fund (CF) 
which  does  apply  to  Italy,  the  European  Social  Fund  (ESF)  with  the 
Youth  Employment  Initiative  (YEI),  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for 
Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  and  the  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries 
Fund (EMFF).   
175 Regulation (EU) 2020/2221. 

Policy 

Funds 

(COWI, 

2017), Regulation 

176  European  Commission,  DG  Environment  -  Data  analysis,  DG 
Environment  analysis  based  on  ESI Funds Open  Data  Portal 
(cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu), Integration  of  environmental  concerns  in 
Cohesion 
(EU)  No 
1303/2013,Regulation  (EU)  2021/1060 and Implementing  Regulation 
(EU)  No  215/2014. Cut-off  date 
for  data:  December  2021. 
Environmental investments here are captured via the combined use of 
(EU)  No 
intervention 
1303/2013 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1060  allowing for a more precise 
identification  and  valuation  of  relevant environmental investments. 
N.B.  Indirect  environmental  investments  are  valued  using  the  Annex  I 
environmental coefficients in Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (as opposed to 
full value).  

fields  and  coefficients  under  Regulation 

investments 

177  European  Commission,  DG  Environment  -  Data analysis.  The  values 
of  environmental 
the  specific 
in 
environmental  areas  may  differ 
from  the  tracking  values  at 
cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu, e.g. for clean air or biodiversity due to two 
factors:  the  set  of  environmental  coefficients  used  and  the  range  of 
funds assessed. DG Environment’s analysis here  covered the full range 
of ESI Funds. See also previous footnote. 

identified  here 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
  
                                                                 
sustainable transport 
sustainable tourism 
business development, R&I 

Under EAFRD/rural development 
Direct environmental investments 
water 
climate and risk management 
Indirect environmental investments 
renewable energy 
energy efficiency 

Under EMFF 
Direct environmental investments 
environment  protection  &  resource 
efficiency 
Direct environmental investments 
business development, R&I 

Under ESI Funds total  
Direct environmental investments 
Indirect environmental investments 

1 118.4 
49.8 
57.6 

1 497.9 
1 475.2 
269.2 
1 206.0 
22.7 
21.0 
1.7 

198.5 
196.1 
196.1 

2.5 
2.5 

6 121.0 
4 287.0 
1 834.0 

(for  urban  wastewater  or 

In  Sicily,  there  has  been  a  reallocation  of  funds  away 
from hydrogeological risks and coastal erosion, dams for 
water  supply  and  to  clean-up  polluted  sites;  funds 
earmarked  for  actions  to  end  infringements  have  not 
irregular 
been  reduced 
landfills), and it should be noted that the changes mainly 
affect  energy  efficiency.  The  underperformance  of 
Thematic Objective 4 (low carbon) in 2014-2020 and the 
reduction of its budget consequently is worrying, in light 
of the upcoming greater focus on Priority Objective (PO) 
2  (low  carbon)  due  to  the  thematic  concentration  for 
2021-2027.  Furthermore,  in  Sicily,  as  noted  in  the  2019 
EIR,  the  ex-ante  conditionality  for  waste  for  the  2014-
2020  period  has  still  not  been  met,  which  has  blocked 
reimbursement.  Calabria  also  has  difficulties  absorbing 
the  funding,  especially  ERDF  for  urban  wastewater 
treatment. 

Sardinia has drawn up for the period 2014-2020 a specific 
model  of  environmental  sustainability  for  the  ERDF  and 
EAFRD under the SEA procedure. 

The SRSP (former TSI) supported in 2019 a project  to re-
prioritise and improve the absorption of structural funds 
at local level. 

In 
environmental 
operational  programmes 

Italy,  the  environmental  authority  ensures  that 
into 
in  term  of  sustainability179; 

considerations  are 

integrated 

178  Intelligent  energy  distribution  systems  (smart  grids)  and  high 
efficiency co-generation and district heating, based on intervention field 
53  and  54  respectively  (with  40%  environmental  coefficients)  of 
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Annex I. 
179 Law No 116, approved 11.08.2014, Article 12(4a) 

Italy  37 

furthermore,  there  is  a  network  of  environmental  and 
managing authorities180. 

supplemented  by  other  EU 

Funding  for  the  environment  from  ESI  Funds  has  also 
funding 
been  also 
programmes available to all Member States, such as, the 
LIFE  programme,  the  Horizon  2020  or  loans  from  the 
European  Investment  Bank  (EIB),  that  add  up  to  an 
estimated  total  of  EUR  10.8  billion  of  EU  environmental 
financing for Italy for the period 2014-2020 

is  entirely  dedicated 

The  LIFE  programme181 
to 
environmental  and  climate  objectives. 
finances 
demonstration  and  best  practice  actions  for  green 
solutions to be deployed. In 2014-2020, Italy received EU 
support 
(for  nature  and 
environment)  for  an  amount  of  EUR  268.9  million  from 
the  LIFE  programme  (out  of  1 028  EU-27  LIFE  projects 
with a  total EU contribution of EUR 1.74 billion)182. 

for  155  LIFE  projects 

It 

In  2014-2020,  Horizon  2020  allocated  about  EUR  205.7 
million  to  Italy  (in  particular,  for  circular  economy, 
climate action, natural resources and ecosystems), which 
is  about  3.7%  of  Italy’s  total  allocation183.  From  the 
European  Fund  for  Strategic  Investments  (EFSI),  Italy 
received  EUR  1.0  billion 
in  direct  environmental 
investment  and  a  further  EUR  48.4  million  as  indirect 
environmental 
Italy’s  total 
investment.  This  brings 
amount for the environment to some EUR 1.1 billion out 
of its total allocation of EUR  7.5 billion  184. Italy received 
EUR  3.8  billion  for  direct  environmental  investments, 
specifically, for water and sewerage and some for waste, 
out  of  all  EIB  loans  to  Italy  (EUR  70.5  billion)185.  The 
country  ranks  first  in  the  EU  in  terms  of  the  amount  of 
total  EIB  lending.  In  2020,  the  EIB  provided  EUR  24.2 
billion in funding to fight climate change at EU level, 37% 
of its total financing. It also provided EUR 1.8 billion (3% 
of its financing) for broader  environmental lending186. 

EU environmental funding 2021-2027 

The 2020 European Green Deal  Investment  Plan (EGDIP) 
calls  for  EUR  1  trillion  in  green  investments  (public  and 
private)  by  2030.  The  MFF  for  2021-2027  and  the 

180 Rete Ambientale.  
181 European Commission, LIFE Programme. 
182 LIFE Country overview Italy 2021. 
183 EASME. 
184 approved and signed EFSI financing - EIB, 2015-2020. 
185 EIB Open Data Portal 2014-2020 
186  EIB  2021  Activity  Report.  The  EIB  Group  jointly  works  with  the 
European  Commission  in  implementing  several  programs  that  finance 
environmental implementation: InvestEU, the successor of EFSI, Pillar II 
and  III  of  the  Just  Transition  Mechanism.  The  EIB  Group  is  a  key 
implementing  partner  for  InvestEU  with  responsibility  for  managing 
75% of the overall budgetary capacity of the mandate. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                                                        
 
                                                                 
NextGenerationEU  spending  programme  will  mobilise 
EUR  2.018  trillion  (in  current  prices)  to  support  the 
COVID-19  recovery  and  the  EU's  long-term  priorities, 
including  environmental  protection  187.  Following  the  EU 
‘do  no  harm’  and  the 
Green  Deal’s188  pledge  to 
Interinstitutional  Agreement  on  the  2021-2027  MFF189, 
30% of the EU budget will support climate efforts, while 
biodiversity  will  receive  7.5%  of  the  EU  budget  (as  of 
2024)  and  10%  (as  of  2026).  To  reach  these  targets,  
more  financial  resources  will  need  to  be  allocated  to 
biodiversity,  specifically  under  the  2021-2027  cohesion 
policy and the 2023-2027 common agricultural policy. 

Sustainable  finance  significantly  increases  transparency 
on environmental sustainability (a goal promoted by the 
EU  Taxonomy)190. 
It  also  strengthens  non-financial 
reporting  requirements  and  facilitates  the  issuance  of 
green  bond  (by  the  EU  green  bond  standard191). 
Reinforced  by  the  renewed  sustainable  finance  strategy 
(2020)192, it will increase investment flows to climate and 
the  environment.  The  new  strategy  on  adaptation  to 
climate change193 can help close the insurance protection 
gap,  which  currently  leaves  many  risks  from  climate-
related events uninsured194.  The EIB will align 50% of its 
lending  for climate and environment  projects  by 2025195 
with  an  EUR  250  billion  contribution  to  the  EGDIP  by 
2027. 

Table  3  gives    an  overview  of  the  EU  funds  earmarked 
specifically to Italy for the 2021-2027 period. These funds 
are  supplemented  by  other  EU  funding  programmes 
available to all Member States. 

Table 3: Key 2021-2027 EU funds allocated to Italy 
(current prices) 

Instrument 

Country funding allocation 
(million EUR) 

long-term  EU  budget  & 

187  European  Commission,  2021-2027 
NextGenerationEU. 
188 COM/2019/640 final. 
189 Interinstitutional Agreement, OJ L 433I. 
190 European Commission, EU taxonomy for sustainable activities 
191 EU Green Bond Standard - 2021/0191 (COD). 
192 COM (2021) 390 Final - European Commission, Strategy for Financing 
the Transition to a Sustainable Economy.  
193 COM(2021) 82 final. 
194  The  strategy  would  support  improved  insurance  gap  coverage 
including through the natural catastrophe markets as reflected with the 
EIOPA  (the  Association  for  European  Insurance  and  Occupational 
Pension Authorities) dashboard on insurance protection gap for natural 
catastrophes. See: The pilot dashboard on insurance protection gap for 
natural catastrophes | Eiopa (europa.eu). 
195 EIB Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025, November 2020 

Italy  38 

Cohesion policy 

Total: 43 114.5196 

ERDF 

ESF+ 

ETC (ERDF) 

Just Transition Fund 

EAFRD/rural 
development  

under  CAP  Strategic 
Plans 2023-2027199 

European  Maritime, 
and 
Fisheries 
Aquaculture 
Fund 
(EMFAF) 

and 
Recovery 
Resilience Facility (RRF)  

2021 – 2026202  

26 614.9 

14 535 

934.9197 

1 029.6198 

6 749.6200 

518.2201 

68 880.5 (grants) 

122 601.8 (loans)203 

In  Italy,  the  programming  process  for  most  of  EU  funds 
2021-27  (cohesion  policy  funds,  EAFRD  and  EMFAF)  is 
the  negotiations  have  been 
ongoing. 
concluded  under  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility 
(RRF).  

  However, 

The  RRP  has  a  budget  of  EUR  191  billion.  This  includes: 
for  circular  economy  &  sustainable  agriculture  EUR  5.27 
billion (of which for waste: EUR 2.1 billion); for renewable 
energy, hydrogen, sustainable mobility EUR 23.78 billion; 
for  energy  efficiency  and  renovation  EUR  15.36  billion, 
and  for  land  protection  and  water  EUR  15.06  billion.  To 
fund nature projects, the plan allocates  EUR 1.8 billion to 
nature  conservation  (notably  for  the  Po  River)  and  to 
clear  up  contaminated  sites.  As  already  mentioned  in 
section 4 of this report, a 37.5% share of the RRF funding 
for  Italy  is  for  measures  that  contribute  to  the  climate 
and  environmental  objectives  (Figure  40).  This  is  in  line 
with the climate target  of  45%  set  for all  EU27  Member 
States  by  2030.  Italy  is  just  above  the  37%  climate 
expenditure  target,  the  minimum  level  required  under 
the  RRF  Regulation204.  Overall,  the  plan  ensures  that 

including  ETC 

initial  allocations  per  Member  State 

196  European  Commission,  2021-2027  Cohesion  policy  EU  budget 
allocations. 
197 
Interreg 
transnational and ETC cross-border co-operation.  
198  European  Commission,  2021-2027  Cohesion  policy  EU  budget 
allocations. 
199 European Commission, CAP strategic plans. 
200 Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Annex XI.  
201 Regulation (EU) 2021/1139, Annex V. 
202  The  actual  reforms  and  investments  under  the  RRF  have  to  be 
implemented until 31 December 2026.   
203 Council Implementing Decision, FIN 521. 
204 Regulation (EU) 2021/241 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
direct  action  can  be  taken  at  local  levels  to  achieve  the 
green  transition,  while  protecting  or  restoring  the 
environment,  and 
in  compliance  with  the  Do  No 
Significant  Harm  (DNSH)  principle205.  There  is  also  a 
national  supplementary  fund  (fondo  complementare) 
with  EUR  30.6  billion  for  2021-2026  to  cover  the  same 
priorities as the RRP. 

in  order  to  fund 

Italy’s partnership agreement  2021-2027 devotes 30% of 
its  budget  to  climate  change;  it  also 
indicates  the 
ambition to contribute to meeting the MFF requirements 
for  financing  biodiversity.  Italy  must  also  meet  the 
enabling  conditions  on  satisfactory  waste  management 
plans 
in  the  waste 
management and circular economy, updated planning for 
required  investments  in  water  and  wastewater  sectors, 
and prioritised action frameworks (PAFs) for investments 
in nature and biodiversity. On the enabling condition for 
climate change adaptation, Italy has provided its national 
strategy  on  adaptation  (mentioned  in  section  4  of  this 
report),  guidelines  for  regional  strategies  on  the  same 
issue, and a document on disaster risk management. 

investment 

In  the  2021-2027  period,  financing  under  the  RRP  and 
cohesion  policy  will  be  carefully  dovetailed  EUR  8.9 
billion  is  allocated  to  the  PO2  on  low  carbon:  from  the 
ERDF  (EUR  8.5  billion)  and  EMFF  (EUR  0.4  billion)  2021-
2027, figures taken from the partnership agreement. 

Figure 40: Climate  expenditure in RRPs206  

Under  NextGenerationEU,  the  Commission  will  issue  up 
to  EUR  250  billion  in  EU  green  bonds  (one  third  of  the 
NGEU)  until  2026  that  comply  with  the  general  spirit  of 
the  DNSH  principle,  but  are  not  subject  to  the  current 
delegated  acts  related  to  the  EU  Taxonomy  and  are  not 
fully aligned with the proposed EU green bond standard. 

205 C(2021) 1054 final 
206 European Commission. The contributions to climate objectives have 
been calculated using Annex VI of the RRF Regulation (EU) 2021/241. 

Italy  39 

In  addition  to  the  EU  funds  earmarked  specifically  for 
Italy  in  2021-2027  period,  various  other  EU  funding 
programmes  are  open  to  all  Member  States.  These 
include,  the  LIFE  programme  (EUR  5.4  billion),  Horizon 
Europe  (EUR  95.5  billion)207,  the  Connecting  Europe 
Facility208  (EUR  33.7  billion)209  and    InvestEU210.  These 
instruments  will  also  support  the  green  transition, 
including 
for 
environmental  protection  (Horizon  Europe)211,  clean 
transport  and  energy  (the  Connecting  Europe  Facility)212 
and sustainable infrastructure (InvestEU)213. 

innovation  activities 

research  and 

National environmental protection 
expenditure 

Total  national  environmental  protection  expenditure 
(including all relevant current and capital expenditure)214 
in the EU-27 was EUR 272.6 billion in 2020, representing 
2%  of  GDP.  This  percentage  has  remained  quite  stable 
over 
is 
concentrated in a few countries, as a share of GDP, most 
countries  spend  between  1-2%  of  their  GDP  on 
environmental  protection,  including  Italy  that  dedicated 
1.8% of its GDP (Figure 41). 

the  highest  expenditure 

time.  Although 

Of  the  above  total,  the  EU-27's  capital  expenditure 
(Capex)  on  environmental  protection  (i.e.  investment) 
amounted to EUR 56.3 billion in 2018, falling to EUR 54.5 
billion  in  2020,  or  some  0.4%  of  GDP.  Most  Member 
States  invested  0.2-0.5%  of  their  GDP  in  environmental 
protection,  including  Italy  (0.3%)  (Figure  42).  For  the 
period  2014-2020,  this  totalled  some  EUR  376  billion  of 
environmental investment in the EU-27, and to EUR 36.9 
billion in Italy. 

207  European  Commission,  Multiannual  financial  framework  2021-2027 
(in commitments) - Current prices. 
208  The  CEF  (Transport)  includes also  EUR  11.3  billion transferred from 
the  Cohesion  Fund.  30  %  of  the  transferred  amount  will  be  made 
available,  on a competitive  basis,  to  all  Member  States eligible  for  the 
Cohesion  Fund.  The  remaining  70%  will  be  allocated  in  line  with    the 
national  envelopes  until  31  December  2023.  Any  unspent  amount,  by 
that  date,  under  national  envelopes  will  support  all  Cohesion  Fund’s 
Member States. 
209 Regulation (EU) 2021/1153. 
210  The  InvestEU  Fund  plans  to  mobilise  over  EUR  372  billion  in 
investment through an EU budget guarantee of EUR 26.2 billion to back 
the investment of financial partners such as the EIB Group and others. 
211 European Commission, Horizon Europe. 
212 European Commission, Connecting Europe Facility. 
213 European Union, InvestEU. 
214  At  economy 
intermediate 
consumption and  capital  expenditure  of  households,  corporations  and 
governments related to environmental protection goods and services. It 
excludes  EU  funds,  while  may  include  some  international  expenditure 
beyond  domestic.  Data  source:  Environmental  Protection  Expenditure 
Accounts (EPEA), Eurostat. EPEA accounts are based on the CEPA 2000 
classification, excluding climate, energy and circular economy 

including  final  consumption, 

level, 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Figure 41: Direct and indirect environmental protection 
investments in the EU-27 (EUR million and % of GDP), 
2018215 

Figure 42: EU-27 Member States' environmental 
protection investments (Capex) by institutional sectors 
(Total economy = 100%, 2018)216 

Italy  40 

protection 

investments 

By  institutional  sector  in  2018,  around  33%  of  Italy’s 
environmental 
(capital 
expenditure)  came  from  the  general  government.  A 
further  45.3%  came  from  specialist  producers  (of 
environmental protection  services, e.g. waste and  water 
companies)  and  21.6%  from 
industry  (or  business) 
sectors carrying out  environmental activities as ancillary 
to their main activities. At EU level, 37% was provided by 
governments,  33%  by  specialist  producers  and  30%  by 
industry (business) (Figure 42). 

protection 

institutional  sector 

investments  went 

A  breakdown  of  investment  by  environmental  topic  is 
only  partially  available  at 
level 
(instead  of  economy  level),  due  to  different  reporting 
patterns217. In 2018, at general government level, 34% of 
environmental 
on 
environmental  research,  24%  on  biodiversity,  20%  on 
waste  management  and  9%  on  urban  wastewater. 
Multiple sources of pollution together accounted for 13% 
of investment by Italy’s  specialist producers, around half 
of  the 
investments  were  received  by  wastewater 
management (48%) and waste management (49%). In the 
business  sector, 28% of investments  went  on protection 
of air, 31% on urban wastewater and 8% on waste. 

In addition to co-financing EU projects, Italy has  its own 
National Cohesion and Development Fund, with a budget 
of EUR 1.9 billion for the 2014-2020 period, which would 
be  included  in  these  national  environmental  protection 
expenditures. 87.5% of this budget is for water (EUR 1.66 
billion),  6.6%  is  for  waste  (EUR  126  million)  and  the 
remainder for green infrastructure and energy efficiency. 

216 Eurostat, Environmental Protection Expenditure Accounts (env_epe). 
217  Data  reporting  differs  for  the  three  institutional  sectors,  leading  to 
aggregation  difficulties.  Specialist  companies  provide  comprehensive 
data across all environmental areas (CEPA 1-9), but this is less the case 
industry  which  often  report  (non-
for  general  government  and 
obligatory)  data  in  merged  categories  only  (with  breakdowns  difficult) 
or not at all. 

215 Eurostat, Environmental Protection Expenditure Account, 2021.  

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
                                                                 
The situation for the period 2021-2027 is in flux but Italy  
plans investments in  the southern regions. 

Figure 43: Annual EU green bond issuance in 2020 (EUR 
billion)223 

Italy  41 

On 4 September 2019 the Italian government announced 
a national Green Deal (GRIND218) with a fund of EUR 4.24 
billion for the period 2020-2023 in the 2020 budget law. 
The  enacting  law  (Environmental  Annex  to  the  2020 
Budget  Law)  was  presented  to  the  Parliament  on  17 
August  2020  but  it  has  yet  to  to  pass  the  parliamentary 
process. 

The  total  annual  European  green  bond  issuance  219  in 
2020 was USD 156 billion (EUR 137 billion220), rising from 
USD  117  billion  (EUR  105  billion)  in  2019,  and  including 
some  non-EU  European  countries.  By  EU27  Member 
States  only,  the  2020  annual  green  bond  issuance  was 
EUR  124  billion.  83%  of  the  green  bonds  issued  by 
European  countries  was  to  meet  energy,  buildings,  or 
transport  objectives  between  2014-2020,  8%  was  for 
water  and  waste,  and  a    further  6%  for  land  use  –  with 
links to ecosystem conservation & restoration, based on 
the Climate Bonds Taxonomy   (broadly similar to the EU 
Taxonomy)221.  Of  this  2020  annual  EU  green  bond 
issuance,  Italy  had  almost  EUR  4  billion  issuance  (data 
available for 16 EU Member States, see Figure 43). 

On  3  March  2021  Italy  issued  the  first  Italian  sovereign 
Green  Bond  (BTP  Green),  with  a  1.50%  annual  coupon 
and  maturing  on  the  30  April  2045  issued  for  EUR  8.5 
billion. In February 2021, the Italian Ministry of Economy 
and  Finance  also  published  the  Framework  for  the 
Issuance  of  Sovereign  Green  Bonds222.  A  report,  entitled 
the  Italian  Sovereign  Green  Bond  Allocation  and  Impact 
Report,  will  be  published  annually  to  update  investors 
and  the  public  on  the  management  and  allocation  of 
bond  proceeds  and  their  environmental 
impact  as 
tracked by a set of indicators and metrics. 

Green budget tools 

Green taxation and tax reform 

Italy’s  revenue  from  environmentally  related  taxes  was 
the  second  highest  in  the  EU  in  2020  in  absolute  terms, 
as  shown  in  Figure  44.  Energy  and  transport  taxation 
accounted  for  the  highest  share  of  taxes  with  80%  and 
18.6%  in  2020,  while  taxes  on  pollution/resource  was 
1.2%.  In  terms  of  percentage  of  GDP,  environmental 
taxes were 3% in 2020 (against the EU average of 2.24%). 

218 Green and Innovation Deal. 
219  Green  bonds  were  created  to  fund  projects  that  have  positive 
environmental  and/or  climate  benefits.  The  majority  of  green  bonds 
issued are green “use of proceeds” or asset-linked bonds. The very first 
green  bond  was  issued  in  2007  with  the  AAA-rated  issuance  from 
multilateral institutions, the EIB and the World Bank. 
220 At Eurostat’s annual average EUR/USD exchange rates. 
221 
information on Climate Bonds Taxonomy  
222 Ministry of Economy and Finance 

Interactive  Data  Platform  at  www.climatebonds.net.  Further 

223 Climate Bonds Initiative, 2022. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
 
Figure 44: Environmental taxes in the EU-27 (2020) 

Italy  42 

waste, being set at regional level, the rates are variable. 
Italy could extend  the use of congestion taxes to reduce 
air  pollution  (such  as  applied  in  Milan)229.  Furthermore, 
Italy  has  received  country  specific  recommendations  in 
the  European  Semester  to  shift  taxes  from  labour  and 
eliminate 
(see 
hereafter). 

environmentally-harmful 

subsidies 

Environmentally-harmful subsidies 

removing  environmentally-harmful 
Addressing  and 
subsidies  (EHS)  is  a  further  step  towards  wider  fiscal 
reform.  

Fossil  fuel  subsidies  are  costly  for  public  budgets  and 
undermine  Green  Deal  objectives.  They  also  often  
deincentivise green investments and do not contribute to 
levelling  the  playing  field.  Fossil  fuel  subsidies  have 
fluctuated  around  EUR  55  billion  in  the  EU  since  2015. 
They rose by 4% between 2015 and 2019, however some 
countries,  such  as  Latvia,  Lithuania  Sweden,  Greece  or 
Ireland,  managed  to  decrease  them.  At  EU 
level, 
subsidies  on  petroleum  products,  in  sectors  such  as 
transport and agriculture, continued to increase in 2015-
2019  ,  whereas  subsidies  on  coal  and  lignite  decreased, 
largely  owing  to  the  diminishing  role  of  solid  fuels  in 
electricity  generation.  In  its  2019  NECP,  Italy  plans  to 
phase out the use of coal by the end of 2025. 

As a share of GDP, fossil fuel subsidies ranged from 1.2% 
in Hungary to less than 0.1% in Malta in 2019 (EU average 
0.4%). Fossil fuel subsidies amounted to EUR 5.5 billion in 
Italy in 2019, under the EU average (0.31%). In 2020, the 
EU27’s  total  fossil  fuel  subsidies  decreased  to  EUR  52 
billion  (due  to  falling  consumption  trends  amid  the 
COVID-19-related  restrictions).  Without  Member  State 
likely  to  rebound  as 
actions,  these  subsidies  are 
economic activity picks up from 2020230. 

Further  details  of  the  situation  in  Italy  are  shown  in 
Figure 45. 

229  European  Commission,  Green  taxation  and  other  economic 
instruments, 2021. 
230 State of the Energy Union report, COM(2021) 950 and Annex 

The  2019  European  Green  Deal  underlines  that  well-
designed  tax  reforms  can  boost  economic  growth  and 
resilience,  foster  a  fairer  society,  and  promote  a  just 
transition. Tax reforms can contribute to this by sending 
the right price signals and incentives to economic actors. 
The  Green  Deal  creates  the  context  for  broad-based  tax 
reforms, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and a shift in 
the  tax  burden  from  labour  to  pollution.  It  achieves  this 
while  simultaneously 
  social 
taking 
considerations224. The Green Deal promotes  the ‘polluter 
pays  principle’  225  which  stipulates  that  polluters  should 
bear  the  cost  of  measures  to  prevent,  control  and 
remedy pollution. The polluter pays principle is facilitated 
technical  support 
by 
instrument (TSI) flagship project on greening taxes226.  

the  European  Commission’s 

  account  of 

There  is  potential  to  increase  environmental  taxation  in 
Italy.  For  example,  there  are  considerable  regional 
differences  in  integrated  water  services  charges  for 
aqueducts, sewerage, and water treatment services. One 
of  the  barriers  to  sufficient  investment  in  Italy  is  that, 
though  water  consumption  per  person  is  high,  water 
charges  are  low227.  There  is  scope  to    further  increase 
water taxes and introduce pesticide taxes228. Another tax 
is  for  landfills,  although  as  mentioned  in  the  section  on 

224 COM (2019/640 final, p.17. 
225  Article  191(2)  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European 
Union:  “Union  policy  on  the  environment  (…)  shall  be  based  on  the 
precautionary  principle  and  on  the  principles  that  preventive  action 
should  be  taken,  that  environmental  damage  should  as  a  priority  be 
rectified at source and that the polluter should pay”. 
226  European  Commission,  Greening  taxes-  applying  polluter  pays 
principle in practice, green budgeting TSI participation. 
227 Gianmarco Donolato, European Commission, Paper on Water Sector, 
February 2021. 
228  European  Commission,  Study  on  assessing  the  environmental  fiscal 
reform potential for the EU 28, 2016. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Figure 45: Trends in fossil fuel subsidies in Italy231 

development and demonstration in the fossil fuel sectors 
(oil, gas, coal)235. 

Current green budgeting practices 

Italy  43 

tagging  and 

tracking  practices 

Green  budgeting  encompasses  various  climate  and 
environmental 
in 
budgets236.  Some  EU  Member  States  already  use  green 
budgeting  practices237.  Green  budgeting  helps  identify 
and  track  green  expenditure  and  green  revenues  to 
increase transparency on the environmental implications 
of  budgetary  policies.  This  is  aimed  at  improving  policy 
coherence  and  supporting  green  policies  (including 
climate end environmental objectives)238. 

The Commission has also drawn up climate proofing and 
sustainability proofing guidance as tools to assess project 
eligibility and a project’s compliance with environmental 
legislation  and  criteria239.  The  Commission  developed    a 
green budgeting reference framework240 and launched a 
TSI  flagship  project  on  green  budgeting  in  2021  to  help 
  develop  national  green  budgeting 
Member  States 
frameworks.  In  this  respect,  Italy  participated 
in  a 
training on 24 February 2022. 

Italy is quite advanced in reporting on the environmental 
impact  of  its  budget.  Since  2000,  Italy  has  published  an 
annex  to  its  budgetary  plans  which  details  planned 
expenditure  on  environmental  protection  and  on 
resource management (ecobilancio). Since 2010, a similar 
document  (ecorendiconto)  reports  on  spending  on  the 
same  budget 
Italy’s  budgetary 
documents  include  an  annex  reporting  on  recent  trends 
indicators  that  track  
and  expected  progress  on  12 
fairness and sustainable well-being241242. 

items.  Furthermore, 

Italy  plans  to  re-classify  the  general  state  budget,  with 
reference to the environmental expenditure,  in line with 
the  UN  sustainable  development  goals  (SDGs)    and 
targets  set  under  Agenda  2030243.  At  regional  level, 

235  Article  18  in  Law  25,  Italian  official  journal  number  73  28  March 
2022, (p.97). 
236  Tagging  is  explained  in  European  Commission,  Green  budgeting 
practices in the EU: a first review , 2021 (p.7). 
237  European  Commission,  Green  budgeting  practices  in  the  EU:  a  first 
review,  2021.  and  OECD,  Public  Governance  Directorate,  Climate 
Change  and  Long-term  Fiscal  Sustainability,  Working  Paper,  February 
2021, p.43 
238  European  Commission,  European  Commission  Green  Budgeting 
Reference Framework. 
239 European Commission, Technical guidance on sustainability proofing 
for the InvestEU Fund. 
240  European  Commission,  Green  Budgeting  Reference  Framework, 
based  on  the  review  of  the  OECD  Paris  Collaborative  on  Green 
Budgeting initiative, 2017. 
241 European Commission (2020), Country Report, (p.28). 
242 ISTAT, Relazione BES 2022.  
243 OECD, European Commission, IMF (2021), Green Budgeting: Towards 
Common Principles. 

% GDP 

 2013  2014 

  2015 

2016 

2017  2018  2019 

2020 

Electricity 

0,09 

0,06 

  0,08 

0,09 

0,08 

0,0

 0,07  0,08 

7 

Natural gas 

0,03 

0,05 

  0,05 

0,04 

0,03 

0,0

7 

Petroleum 
products 

0,47 

0,49 

0,48 

0,45 

0,38 

0,3

7 

Coal 

0,01 

0,01 

0,01 

0,01 

0,01 

0,0

2 

0,09 

0,35 

0,02 

0,1
0 

0,3
7 

0,0
2 

in  Italy  are  diesel  subsidies 

Two  EHS  that  have  been  identified  as  candidates  for 
reform 
in  freight  and 
passenger  transport  worth  EUR  1  294  million  per  year 
and 
rubber 
manufacture worth EUR 78 million per year232. 

for  plastic  and 

lubricating  oils 

for 

Italy  follows  the  best  practice  of  having  a  catalogue  of 
environmentally friendly and harmful subsidies with four 
editions published since 2016 and the intention to reduce 
the  estimated  EUR  20.4  billion  in  2020233.  Furthermore, 
as mentioned in section 2 of this report, environmentally 
harmful subsidies damaging biodiversity accounted for at 
least  EUR  28  billion  in  2018234.  The  Committee  on 
Ecological  Transition  (CITE)  intends  to  draft  a  plan  to 
phase out EHS (including FFS) by 2025. Furthermore, Italy 
passed  a  law  on  28  March  2022  banning  reductions  in 
excise  duties  for  energy  products  used  by  railway 
transport  of  passengers  and  goods,  the  exemption  from 
excise  on  energy  products  used  for  the  production  of 
magnesium from seawater, tax relief on energy products 
used  in  ships  involved  in  transhipment  operations,  and 
excludes the use of government resources for  research, 

231 OECD, Fossil Fuel Subsidy Tracker. 
232  European  Commission,  on-going  study,  Mapping  objectives  in  the 
field of environmental taxation and budgetary reform: Environmentally 
harmful subsidies (EHS) 
233 Ministry of Ecological Transition, Economia Ambientale. 
234 4th Report on the State of Natural Capital Accounting, April 2021 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Sardinia also applies green budgeting, and Bologna at city 
level.  

Overall financing compared to the needs 

EU’s 

overall 

financing 

from  0.3% 

environmental 

The 
for 
environmental  investments  is  estimated  to  have  been  
0.6-0.7%  of  GDP  in  2014-2020  period,  comprising  both 
major  EU  funds  and  national  financing  (Figure  46).  This 
ranged 
(Bulgaria), 
(Ireland) 
depending  on  the  level  of  environmental  challenges  in 
different  Member  States.  In  2021-2027,  it  is  estimated 
that  the  EU’s  overall  environmental  investment  needs 
will  range  between  0.9  and  1.5%  of  the  projected  GDP 
(2021-2027),  suggesting  a  potential  environmental 
financing  gap  of  0.6-0.8%  of  GDP,  unchanged  financing 
levels assumed 244.  

to  1.91% 

Figure 46: Total environmental financing baseline (2014-
2020) and estimated needs (2020-2030) in the EU27 (% 
of GDP)245 

Italy  44 

0.67%  of  GDP,  suggesting  a  potential  environmental 
financing gap of at least 0.19% of GDP, likely to be higher 
when  also  accounting  for  needs    currently  estimated  at 
EU-level  only 
circularity, 
biodiversity strategy etc.). 

(e.g.  water  protection, 

In  absolute  amounts, 
the  annual  environmental 
investments (EU plus national) amounted to an estimated 
EUR  8.1  billion  on  average  in  2014-2020.  The  identified 
annual  needs  (not  comprehensive)  are  estimated  to 
reach  EUR  11.9  billion  in  the  coming  period,  suggesting 
the  need  to  increase  financing  levels  for  environmental 
compliance and sustainability.  

2022 priority actions 

In  the  2019  EIR,  Italy  received  three  priority  actions  on 
environmental  financing.  The  first  was  to    close  the 
implementation  gaps  for  water,  waste  and  air  using  EU 
and national financing, where limited  progress has been 
made,  especially  with  regard  to  closing  the  irregular 
landfills. The second was to make greater use of EU funds 
to  implement  targeted  nature  conservation  measures. 
Here  again,  Italy  made  limited  progress,  although  with 
the  RRP  notably  addressing  this  issue.  The  third  was  to 
improve the capacity of environmental administrations at 
national, regional, and local level to ensure programmed 
expenditure takes place; the evaluation here will depend 
very  much  on  the  programming  for  the  2021-2027 
period, and hence is deferred to a future EIR. 

 

is 

Italy 
invited  to  devise  an  environmental 
financing  strategy  to  maximise  opportunities  to  
close  the  environmental  implementation  gaps, 
bringing  together  all  ministries  and  tiers  of  the  
administration. 

Italy’s overall environmental financing for investments is 
estimated to have been 0.48% of GDP (less than  the EU 
in  2014-2020,  80%  coming  from 
average  of  0.7%) 
national 
environmental 
sources. 
investment  needs in 2021-2027 are  expected  to be over 

country’s 

The 

244 Source: DG Environment data analysis. EU financing sources covered: 
ESI  Funds  (ERDF,  CF,  ESF,  YEI,  EAFRD,  EMFF),  Horizon  2020,  LIFE,  EFSI 
(EU amount), EIB loans. National financing: total national environmental 
protection  capital  expenditure  (investments)  -  source:  Eurostat  EPEA 
dataset.  Cut-off  date  for  data:  end  2021.  N.B.  The  total  financing  may 
be  higher,  in particular  through further  indirect  investments,  requiring 
further analysis in the future.   
245 Eurostat; ESI Funds Open Data, 2021. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 – Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
 
 
 
Italy  45 

6. 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; 
(iii) access to justice in environmental matters.  
It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and businesses that environmental information is shared 
efficiently  and  effectively246.  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 environment247. It includes the right to bring 
legal challenges (‘legal standing’)248.  

Environmental information 

The  INSPIRE  (Infrastructure  for  Spatial  Information  in 
Europe)  Directive249  aims  at  establishing  a  European 
spatial  data  infrastructure  for  sharing  environmental 
spatial  information  between  public  authorities  across 
Europe,  assisting  in  policymaking  across  boundaries  and 
facilitating  public  access  to  this  information.  Geographic 
information  is  needed  for  good  governance  at  all  levels 
and should be readily and transparently available.  

Italy’s implementation of the INSPIRE Directive is lagging 
behind.  In  2019,  Italy  received  a  priority  action  on  the 
need  to  improve  access  to  spatial  data  and  services  by 
making  stronger  links  to  the  country  INSPIRE  portals.  It 
has  made  some  progress  on  data  identification  and 
documentation, but implementation levels are limited. 

More efforts are needed on INSPIRE to: (i) make the data 
more  widely  accessible;  (ii)  improve  the  conditions  for 
data  reuse,  and  (iii)  prioritise  environmental  datasets  in 
implementation, especially those identified as high-value 

246  The  Aarhus  Convention,  the  Access  to  Environmental  Information 
Directive  (Directive  2003/4/EC)  and  the  INSPIRE  Directive  (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 the INSPIRE Directive's implementation.  
247 These guarantees are explained in the Commission Notice on access 
to  justice  in  environmental  matters,  OJL  275,  18.8.2017  and  a  related 
Citizen's Guide. 
248 This EIR focuses on measures taken by Member States to guarantee 
rights of access to justice, legal standing and to overcome other major 
barriers to bringing cases on nature and air pollution. 
249INSPIRE  

spatial  datasets 
for 
legislation250 (Table 4). 

implementing  environmental 

Table 4: Country dashboard on the implementation of 
the INSPIRE Directive (2016-2020)251  

2016 

2020 

Legend 

Effective  coordination  and  data 
sharing 

Ensure  effective 
coordination  

■  ■ 

Data 

without obstacle   ■  ■ 

sharing 

INSPIRE performance indicators 

i.  Conformity  of 
metadata  

■  ■ 

ii.  Conformity  of 
spatial 
data 
sets252 

iii. Accessibility of 
spatial  data  sets 
through view and 
download 
services 

■  ■ 

■  ■ 

iv.  Conformity  of 

network services  ■  ■ 

■ 
Implementation  of  this 
provision  is  well  advanced  or 
completed. 
(nearly) 
Outstanding  issues  are  minor 
and  can  be  addressed  easily. 
Percentage: >89% 

■ 
Implementation  of  this 
provision  has  started  and 
made  some  or  substantial 
progress  but  is  still  not  close 
to  be  complete.  Percentage: 
31–89% 

■ 
Implementation  of  this 
falling 
is 
provision 
significantly  behind.  Serious 
efforts are necessary to close 
implementation 
gap. 
Percentage: <31% 

Public participation 

Italy  provides  for  public  participation  under  several 
articles  of  the  Environmental  Code  (Legislative  Decree 
No. 152/2006, Part II, Title II and III).   

As mentioned in previous EIRs, the Ministry of Ecological 
Transition maintains a public database253, which includes 
detailed 
an 
environmental 
impact  assessment  (EIA),  a  strategic 
environmental  assessment  (SEA)  and  the  Integrated 
Emissions  Directive  permit.  The  database  contains 

information  on  projects 

requiring 

250 European Commission, List of high value spatial data sets. 
251 INSPIRE knowledge base Italy 
252 The deadlines for implementation of the spatial data interoperability 
were  in  2016  still  in  the  future:  23.11.2017  for  Annex  I  data  and 
21/10/2020 for Annex II and III data. It must be also considered that this 
conformity indicator will in many cases never reach 100% conformity as 
majority  of  the  countries  provide  as-is-data  sets  in  addition  to  the 
INSPIRE harmonised data sets. 
253 EIA-SEA-IED  

Environmental Implementation Report – Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
  
  
 
                                                                 
technical background and documentation, which enables 
the  public  to  analyse  the  projects  in  detail.  There  is  a 
specific  section  ‘Citizen  Area254’  for  members  of  the 
to  express  their  opinion  on  projects  and 
public 
send 
consultation.  They 
installations  under 
observations  by  email  or  by  filling  in  the  form  on  the 
website. The website also includes a  FAQ section255, and 
it  contains  the  sections  ‘Data  and  Tools256’  and  ‘Notices 
to  the  public257’  with  detailed 
information  on  EIA 
procedures. 

can 

Centralised  statistical  information  on  the  level  of  public 
participation  in  decision-making  processes  regarding  EIA 
and  SEA  procedures  has  not  been  found  on  these 
websites. There is no evidence that public participation in 
environmental impact assessment procedures is falling. 

Access to justice  

Physical  and 
challenge environmental adminsitrative decisions. 

legal  persons, 

including  NGOs,  may 

Italy  46 

authorities,  throughout  the  whole  country,  learning 
from  the  best  practice  of  the  Ministry  of  Ecological 
Transition and some regions; 

  collect  and  publish  data  on  the 

public 

participation 

level  of  public 
participation  on  SEA  and  EIA  procedures  and 
encourage 
the 
through 
dissemination of clear and useable information; 
improve  access  to  courts  by  the  public  concerned 
regulatory 
when  challenging  administrative  or 
decisions,  in  particular  under  the  areas  of  planning 
related to water, nature and air quality; 

 

  better inform the public about their access to justice 
rights  in  particular  by  referring  to  the  judicial  and 
administrative  portals  and  the  Commission  eJustice 
fact  sheets  on  access  to  justice  in  environmental 
matters259; 

  ensure no  barriers  (e.g. costs) to access to justice on 

environmental matters. 

Compliance assurance 

In Italy, there are some difficulties in challenging plans or 
programmes. There is a system of regular supervision  of 
regulatory legally binding acts, but  it is  barely accessible 
to  members  of  the  public  and  NGOs,  they  can  only  flag 
issues  to  the  bodies  or  officials  who  are  entitled  to 
initiate an extraordinary supervision procedure. 

There  is  some  information  on  access  to  justice,  usually 
only available in the official language(s) of the country or 
autonomous provinces ,  maintained by the government, 
and it needs to be searched for258. 

In  2019,  Italy  had  a  priority  action  on  better  informing 
the  public  of    their  access  to  justice  rights,  notably  in 
relation  to  air  pollution  and  nature.  Italy  has  made 
limited progress on this front. 

to  ensure 

Environmental compliance assurance covers all the work 
undertaken  by  public  authorities 
that 
industries,  farmers  and  others  fulfil  their  obligations  to 
protect water, air and nature, and manage waste260.  
It includes support measures provided by the authorities 
such as: 
(i) compliance promotion 261;  
(ii) inspections and other checks that they carry out, i.e. 
compliance monitoring 262;  
(iii)  the  steps  that  they  take  to  stop  breaches,  impose 
sanctions  and  require  damage  to  be  remedied,  i.e. 
enforcement263.  
Citizen  science  and  complaints  enable  authorities  to 
liability264 
focus  their  efforts  better.  Environmental 
ensures that the polluter pays to remedy any damage.  

2022 priority actions 

  make  spatial  data  more  widely  accessible  and 
prioritise environmental datasets in implementing the 
INSPIRE Directive, especially  those identified as high-
value 
implementing 
spatial 
environmental legislation; 

datasets 

for 

  develop  structured  and  user-friendly  information  on 
SEA and EIA procedures, available online, from public 

254 Citizens Area 
255 FAQs 
256  this  section  is  divided  into  six  sub-sections:  environmental  data; 
technical  specifications  and  forms;  legislation;  sector  studies  and 
investigations; BAT conclusions; Bref – IED. 
257 Public annoucements 
258 Detailed information on access to justice. 

Compliance promotion and monitoring 

In  April  2020,  Italy  launched  a  new  version  of  the 
National  Environmental  Information  System  (SINA265) 

259 European Commission  
260  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.  
261 this EIR focuses on the help given to farmers to comply with nature 
and nitrates legislation.  
262 this EIR focuses on inspections of major industrial installations.  
263  this  EIR  focuses  on  the  availability  of  enforcement  data  and  co-
ordination between authorities to tackle environmental crime. 
264  the  Environmental  Liability  Directive,  2004/35,  creates  the 
framework. 
265 ISPRA SinaCloud  

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 –  Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
portal  with  environmental  data,  mapping  services  and 
linked open data. 

and 

guidelines 

explanations, 

Extensive 
relevant 
documentation are provided in the section on the Natura 
2000  network  of  the  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition’s 
website266. 
for 
the 
Environmental  Protection  and  Research  (ISPRA)267  also 
plays  an  important  role  in  providing  information  and 
guidelines on nature and nitrates. 

Similarly, 

Institute 

Italian 

Some  regions  provide  on  their  websites  a  general 
overview and guidelines (although not directly addressed 
to  farmers)  on  implementing  the  Nitrates  Directive. 
Nonetheless,  no  guidelines  specifically  written 
for 
farmers  or  other  duty-holders  are  available  across 
regions.  However,  as  a  best  practice  example,  on  the 
Lombardy  Region’s  website  there  are  information  and 
support  actions 
regarding 
biodiversity  protection, 
the  Ministry  of  Ecological 
Transition  and  ISPRA  include  on  their  websites  specific 
sections  on  biodiversity  with  extensive  explanations, 
guidelines, and information on  current projects. 

farmers.  Similarly, 

for 

The  aforementioned  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition’s 
website  also  contains  a  specific  section  (Environmental 
IED 
Assessments  and  Authorisations  SEA 
permitting)  on 
to  environmental 
inspections  and  a  more  general  section  ‘Environmental 
statistics’  with  information  structured  by  a  thematic 
classification268.  Annual  activity 
to 
environmental inspections are also available on the ISPRA 
website269. 

statistics 

reports 

-  EIA 

linked 

linked 

- 

Complaint handling and citizen science 

ARPA270 control activities at regional level in the Italy may 
initiative  of  the  competent 
be  carried  out  at  the 
authorities  or  local  authorities,  by  delegation  of  the 
judiciary, or at the request  of following a report filed by 
citizens.  Citizens  may  also  file  a  report  to  other  local 
police forces or authorities (e.g. the Carabinieri). 

Some  ARPAs  provide 
information  on  the  complaint 
procedure  for  local  authorities  and  citizens  (e.g.  how  to 
access  environmental  information  and  administrative 
acts  or  how  to  report  environmental  irregularities)  on 
their websites. 

Italy  47 

The  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition  and  ISPRA  provide 
information  on  their  website  (in  the  form  of  FAQ  or 
request  information  function)  on  to  whom  and  how  to 
submit  a  complaint  about  environmental  nuisance  or 
environmental damage. 

a 

role 

fundamental 

An  increasing  number  of  environmental  associations  in 
Italy  play 
in  denouncing 
environmental  offences  and  raising  public  awareness. 
The  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition  provides  on  its 
website an exhaustive list271 of recognised environmental 
protection  associations.  The  main  NGOs 
include 
Legambiente,  which  publishes  an  annual  report  on 
environmental crime based on data submitted by the law 
enforcement  authorities  (LEAs).  At  present,  the  number 
of  complaints 
in  the 
environmental field is above the EU average. 

lodged  with  the  Commission 

Enforcement  

The  specialised  environmental  unit272  of  the  Italian 
Carabinieri (Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela Forestale, 
Ambientale e Agroalimentare) provides a yearly report of 
follow-up  and  enforcement 
environmental  control, 
activities 
(available  on  the  Ministry  of  Ecological 
Transition’s website). 

NGOs also play an important role in prevention. They are 
in constant contact with LEAs and collect statistics based 
on  the  data  submitted  by  law  enforcement  authorities. 
The  main  ones  are  the  statistics  in  the  annual  report 
published  by  Legambiente273.  However,  no  structured 
statistics  were  found  on  prosecution  and  court  cases 
related to environmental crime.  

legal 

Italy  has  a  robust 
framework  to  exchange 
information between relevant competent authorities.  As 
mentioned  in  previous  EIRs,  the  National  Network  for 
Protection  of  the  Environment  was  set  up  in  2016  to 
coordinate,  inter  alia,  control  activities  of  ISPRA  and 
regional  agencies.  However,  no  information  is  available 
on  official  websites  on  formal  cooperation  mechanisms 
between 
the 
enforcement  chain. The situation has not improved, and 
the same gaps are currently identified. 

inspectors  and  other  bodies  along 

Italy  has  specialised  units  dealing  with  environmental 
crimes  in  almost  all  Public  Prosecutors'  Offices  and  a 
network  system  in  the  environmental  sector  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Chief  Prosecutor's  Office  at  the  Court 

266 Ministry of Ecological Transition, Natura 2000  
267 Institute for Environmental Protection and Research 
268 Ministry of Ecological Transition, EIA-SEA-VINCA statistics  
269 ISPRA, Report on IED inspections 
270  The  ARPA  are  the  regional  agencies  for  environmental  protection 
within the Italian public administration. 

271Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition,  list  of  recognized  environmental 
NGOs. 
272 Italian Carabinieri.  

273 Legambiente, data on law enforcement data. 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 –  Italy 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
of  Cassation,  which  ensures  uniformity  of  procedures 
while  respecting  the  autonomy  of  all  prosecutors.  The 
clear  definition  of  the  role  played  by  the  different  LEAs 
on  environmental  crime  avoids  any  overlap  of 
investigations and responsibilities between LEAs (i.e. the 
Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza).  

information on public authorities’ official websites on 
formal cooperation mechanisms;  

  develop structured statistics from national authorities 

on the enforcement of environmental crimes.  

Italy  48 

Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) 

ISPRA  publishes  every  two  years  biannual  reports  on 
environmental damages in Italy (see e.g. the 2019 ISPRA 
report274).  The  Ministry  of  the  Ecological  Transition 
publishes  on 
its  website  provisions  on  damage 
remediation or threat of damage prevention. However, a 
specific ELD registry has not been identified. 

The  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition  maintains  a  public 
central  database275  on  the  portal  for  environmental 
impact assessments but does not include information on 
incidents of environmental damage. ISPRA has a national 
accidents  register276  but  specific  access  credentials  are 
required.  This  register  is  built  under  Seveso  legislation 
(see  section  3  of  this  report)  and  does  not  include 
information about ELD cases. 

Financial security for ELD liabilities is not mandatory. Italy 
indirectly requires under national law financial securities 
for  some  ELD  liabilities.  Financial  security  policies  and 
bank  guarantees,  as  well  as  stand-alone  environmental 
insurance policies are widely available in Italy.  Wide use 
is  made  of  extensions  to  general  liability  policies  that 
provide insurance for remediating off-site pollution from 
a sudden and accidental incident at an insured’s site. 

The  2019  EIR  had  priority  actions    to  improve  financial 
security  for  liabilities  and  ELD  guidance,  and  to  publish 
information on environmental damage.  Since  2019, Italy 
has made no progress on those issues.  

2022 priority actions 

  better 

about 

inform 

the  public 

compliance 
promotion, monitoring and enforcement  by ensuring 
structured and easily accessible online information  is 
provided  to  farmers  at  national  level  about  how  to 
comply  with  obligations  under  the  Nitrates  and 
Nature Directives; 
improve overall coordination at national and regional 
level  between  enforcing  authorities  and  provide 

 

274 ISPRA, environmental damages 2017 and 2018.  
275 Ministry of Ecological Transition, EIA-SEA-VINCA portal.  
276 ISPRA, national accidents register.  

Effectiveness of environmental 
administrations  

in 

involved 

implementing 

Those 
environmental 
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 

The regionalised structure of Italy means responsibilities 
are  shared  between  national  and  regional  levels.  The 
Ministry  of  Environment  was  incorporated  into  a  new 
enlarged  Ministry  of  Ecological  Transition 
in  2021 
combining  environmental  and  energy  responsibilities. 
The  minister  also  has  the  role  of  co-ordinating  the  new 
for  Ecological  Transition 
Interministerial  Committee 
(CITE).  A  national  ecological  transition  plan  is  being 
prepared. 

The  CITE  also  is  in  charge  of  the  national  sustainable 
development  strategy (NSDS). Italy adopted  the NSDS  in 
2017  (mentioned  in  the  2019  EIR)  and  is  currently 
revising  it  with  a  strong  focus  on  policy  coherence  for 
sustainable  development  (see  the  section  technical 
support instrument) and on other enabling tools (vectors) 
to  empower  participation  and  promote  a  culture  for 
sustainability  through  education,  training,  information 
and  communication.  The  NSDS 
reference 
framework for regional and municipal level strategies and 
agendas  on  sustainable  development  and  builds  on  a 
strengthened  institutional  coordination  and  cooperation 
mechanisms,  both  horizontal  and  vertical.  Italy  has  also 
19  regional  and  2  provincial  sustainable  development 
strategies. 

the 

is 

in  Italy 

Implementation  of  environmental  rules 
lies 
predominantly in the hands of the regions, which results 
in  differences  in  implementation  and  enforcement,  and 
transposition  delays.  Italy  suffers  in  particular  from 
fragmentation  of  responsibilities  and  needs  strong  co-
ordination.  

environmental 

Italy  is  one  of  the  Member  States  with  the  highest 
number  of  ongoing 
infringement 
procedures (21 in March 2022). It must step up its efforts 
to  ensure  compliance  with  EU  environmental  rules.  The 
lack  of  enforcement  of  court  judgements  issued  under 
Article  260  of  the  Treaty  on  the  functioning  of  the 
European  Union  is  highly  problematic  and  results  in 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 –  Italy 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
significant fines being paid to the EU budget. This shows 
that  a  timely  and  coherent  approach  to  environmental 
infrastructure investments is crucial. Another major issue 
of concern is the lack of an effective enforcement system 
that  ensures  that  all  administrative  or  judicial  decisions 
are readily put into force. 

that  makes 

the  protection  of 

On  8  February  2022,  Parliament  passed  a  constitutional 
the 
amendment 
environment  one  of  Italy’s  constitutional  principles,  in 
particular  by  ensuring  the  protection  of  ‘biodiversity, 
ecosystems  and  animals  [the  latter  for  the  autonomous 
regions  and  provinces,  related  to  hunting],  also  in  the 
interest of future generations’. In addition, it stated that 
private economic initiatives cannot  be conducted if they 
contrast with social utility, human dignity, health, (…) and 
now also ’the environment’. 

technical  assistance  within 

The partnership agreement for 2021-27 period notes that 
Italy  will  have:  a  national  operational  programme  for 
cohesion  capacity; 
the 
(regional  and 
individual  operational  programmes 
national);  plans  for  administrative  regeneration  (PRigA) 
building  on  the  previous  plans 
for  administrative 
reinforcement  plans  (PRAs)  from  the  2014-2020  period 
in  previous  EIRs).  The  new  PRigAs  will 
(mentioned 
simplify  procedures  to  accelerate  public  investment  for 
the structural funds and build up administrative capacity, 
especially new personnel. Furthermore, the 2019 annual 
budget277  included  the  recruitment  between  2019-2021 
of  420  new  specialised  staff  (including  20  managers)  to 
the  Environment  Ministry;  this  should 
lead  to  the 
progressive reduction of technical support from in-house 
companies. 

To  boost  transparency,  new  rules  were  introduced  in 
2019  on  the  composition  of  members  of  the  EIA-SEA 
Technical Committee278. 

On 29 May 2020, Italy (CINSEDO) organised a seminar on 
the  governance 
report 
in 
(environmental 
justice  and 
information,  access 
compliance assurance)279. 

the  2019  EIR 

issues 

to 

Italy is applying digital or innovative solutions in the field 
of  environment  as  mentioned 
in  this  section  on 
compliance  assurance  and  also  in  the  water  and  marine 
chapters. 

Since  6  August  2021, 
Italy  has  set  up  a  Civil 
Environmental Service (Servizio civile ambientale) to help 
young people face the challenges of the green revolution 

277  Legge  30  dicembre  2018,  n.  145,  Bilancio  di  previsione  dello  Stato 
per  l'anno  finanziario  2019  e  bilancio  pluriennale  per  il  triennio  2019-
2021. (18G00172). 
278 Ministry of Environment, Press Release, 28.08.2019. 
279  European  Commission,  Environmental  Implementation  Review  - 
Environment  

Italy  49 

coordinated  by  the  Institute  of  Universal  Civil  Service 
(l’istituto del Servizio civile universale)280.  

In the 2019 EIR, Italy had two priority actions. One was to 
improve overall environmental governance and the other 
to  better  address 
implementation  of 
fragmented 
environmental policy. Italy had made limited progress on 
both fronts. 

2022 priority actions 

  continue  to  address  the  fragmented  implementation 
of environmental policy at regional and local levels by 
developing  a  better  national  overview  of  regional 
implementation  mechanisms  for  the  environment 
(especially implementation of the Nitrates Directive at 
regional level). 
improve  overall  national  environmental  governance, 
in particular administrative capacity and coordination 
at  regional  and 
level  between  enforcing 
authorities. 

local 

 

Coordination and integration  

As  mentioned  in  the  2019  EIR  Report,  transposition  of 
the  revised  EIA  Directive281  provides  an  opportunity  to 
streamline  the  regulatory  framework  on  environmental 
assessments.  Italy  has  transposed  the  revised  Directive. 
to 
The  Commission  encourages  Member  States 
streamline of the environmental assessments in order to 
reduce  duplication  and  avoid  overlaps  in  environmental 
assessments  applicable  to  projects.  Streamlining  also 
helps  reduce  unnecessary  administrative  burden  and 
accelerates decision-making,  provided it is done  without 
compromising 
the  environmental 
assessment  procedure282.  Italy  had  already  streamlined 
environmental  assessments  under  EIA  and  Habitats 
Directives  before  the  revised  EIA  Directive  entered  into 
force. Joint procedures have been established for the EIA, 
the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  the 
Industrial 
Emission  Directive.  Under  the  RRP,  Italy  passed  a  law  in 
2021 to halve the time for EIAs for railway projects and to 
simplify procedures for photovoltaics283. There is another 
RRP  milestone  on  streamlining 
renewable  energy 
projects in 2024. 

the  quality  of 

280 Prime Ministers Office. 
281 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 
282 The Commission issued a guidance document in 2016 regarding the 
setting  up  of  coordinated  and/or 
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).  
283  Official  Journal  n.  181  of  30  July,  Law  n.  108/2021  of  29.07.2021 
converting  Decree-Law n. 77/2021 of 31.05.2021. 

joint  procedures 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 –  Italy 

 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Reforms through the Commission’s technical 
support instrument (TSI) 

Italy  50 

The Commission supports environmental implementation 
and  the  green  transition,  not  only  through  the  EU 
financing  programmes,  but  also  by  granting  technical 
assistance such as the technical support instrument (TSI).  
The  Commission’s  TSI  supported  a  project  in  2019-2020 
on  environmental  fiscal  reform  in  Italy.  In  2020  four 
projects  were  supported  related  to  the  BES  indicators; 
mainstreaming sustainable development in other policies 
(policy  coherence); 
identifying 
sustainable 
investments  for  the  transition  to  a  green  economy,  and 
continuing environmental fiscal reform from the 2019-20 
project.  In  2021  two  projects  were  supported  on  the 
circular  economy  and  on  green 
in 
transport,  plus  targeted  support  to  implement  the  RRP. 
In 2022, a project will be supported on supporting urban 
mobility. 

infrastructure 

finance 

TAIEX EIR peer to peer projects 

to 

facilitate  peer-to-peer 

The  Commission  launched  the  TAIEX  EIR  peer-to-peer 
tool 
learning  between 
environmental  authorities.  During  the  reporting  period, 
Italy  benefited  from  a  study  visit  to  Hungary  on 
hydrometeorological  monitoring  and  early  warning 
system  for  natural  hazards  (2019)  and  from  two  expert 
missions  on  circular  procurement 
(2019)  and  on 
phosphorus recovery from wastewater treatment (2021). 
Italy also participated in multicountry workshops on best 
practice  in  environmental  governance  (2020),  ammonia 
reducing  technology  and  measures  (2021)  and  on  zero 
pollution (2022). 

 Environmental Implementation Review 2022 –  Italy