Waste crisis in Campania, Italy

MEPs have raised serious concerns that the region of Campania in Italy is headed towards a new environmental crisis, due to its appalling waste management policy and disregard of EU waste rules. Green MEPs are particularly concerned about an announcement from the Italian government permitting the reopening of the controversial Cava di Vitiello landfill, which is situated in the Vesuvio national park, in complete conflict with previous assurances given by the government.

Commenting on the situation and the need for an urgent EU response, Danish Green MEP Margarete Auken, who was part of a delegation by the EP petitions committee to Campania (1), said:

"We are extremely concerned about reports on the waste situation in the Italian region of Campania. It seems Campania is slipping towards another environmental crisis due to the complete disregard of EU waste legislation, the authorities' willingness to ignore Italian rules and a feckless approach to waste management.

"Re-opening the Cava di Vitiello landfill in the Vesuvio national park is clearly in conflict with EU legislation, notably the Habitats and Landfill Directives. There are also very real concerns that the site is completely unfit for use as a landfill, with no environmental impact assessment having been carried out. This would risk creating a new environmental disaster in the region.

"The announcement by the Italian authorities endorsing the reopening of the Cava di Vitiello landfill also flies in the face of promises given by the government on numerous occasions. The situation is made all the more urgent by the police violence being employed against peaceful protesters who are trying to prevent the landfill from going ahead.

"We urge the Italian authorities to immediately halt this environmental crime. We also call on the European Commission to immediately take action to prevent the landfill from going ahead, including taking further action before the European Court of Justice."

(1) A delegation from the European Parliament's petitions committee carried out a fact-finding mission on the waste situation in Campania in April 2010. Full details of the mission can be found in the report adopted on 30 September:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/peti/dt/830/830539/830539en.pdf