The European Commission (EC) has announced that it is taking action against Italy in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the Ilva steel plant in Taranto, Europe's largest iron and steel works.
Following a number of complaints from citizens and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the EC has found that Italy is failing to ensure that Ilva complies with EU requirements on industrial emissions, with serious consequences for human health and the environment. It is also failing to respect the Environmental Liability Directive, which enacts the "polluter pays" principle. On the recommendation of Environment Commissioner Janez Poto nik, the European Commission is therefore sending a letter of formal notice, giving Italy two months to reply.
According to the EC statement, most of the problems stem from a failure to reduce the high level of uncontrolled emissions generated during the steel production process. Tests have shown heavy pollution of the air, soil, surface and ground waters both at the Ilva site and in nearby inhabited areas of the city of Taranto.
In addition to these breaches, it appears that the Italian authorities have not ensured that the operator of the Ilva Taranto plant takes the necessary remedial measures or bears the costs of such measures to deal with the damage that has already been caused.
The EC sees recent commitments made by the Italian authorities to address the situation as a positive sign and is ready to help the Italian authorities in their efforts to resolve these serious issues.