ITALY © gettyimages, Aleh Varanishcha The Environmental Implementation Review 2019 COUNTRY REPORT – ITALY Environment EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 4.4.2019 SWD(2019) 123 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 Country Report - ITALY Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life {COM(2019) 149 final} - {SWD(2019) 111 final} - {SWD(2019) 112 final} - {SWD(2019) 113 final} - {SWD(2019) 114 final} - {SWD(2019) 115 final} - {SWD(2019) 116 final} - {SWD(2019) 117 final} - {SWD(2019) 118 final} - {SWD(2019) 119 final} - {SWD(2019) 120 final} - {SWD(2019) 121 final} - {SWD(2019) 122 final} - {SWD(2019) 124 final} - {SWD(2019) 125 final} - {SWD(2019) 126 final} - {SWD(2019) 127 final} - {SWD(2019) 128 final} - {SWD(2019) 129 final} - {SWD(2019) 130 final} - {SWD(2019) 131 final} - {SWD(2019) 132 final} - {SWD(2019) 133 final} - {SWD(2019) 134 final} - {SWD(2019) 135 final} - {SWD(2019) 136 final} - {SWD(2019) 137 final} - {SWD(2019) 138 final} - {SWD(2019) 139 final} EN EN This report has been written by the staff of the Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission. Comments are welcome, please send them to [email protected] More information on the European Union is available at http://europa.eu. Photographs: p. 13 — ©GettyImages/DieterMeyrl, p. 15 — ©iStock/ueuaphoto, p. 18 — ©iStock/Aleh Varanishcha, p. 20 — ©iStock/fbxx, p. 29 — ©iStock/PARNTAWAN For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder. ©European Union, 2019 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 1 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 3 PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 4 1. TURNING THE EU INTO A CIRCULAR, RESOURCE-EFFICIENT, GREEN AND COMPETITIVE LOW- CARBON ECONOMY .............................................................................................................................. 4 Measures towards the circular economy .............................................................................................. 4 Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 8 Climate change .................................................................................................................................... 10 2. PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ................................................... 13 Nature and biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 13 Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services .................................................................. 14 Estimating natural capital .................................................................................................................... 15 Invasive alien species........................................................................................................................... 16 Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Marine protection ............................................................................................................................... 18 3. ENSURING CITIZENS’ HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE ........................................................................ 20 Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................. 21 Noise ................................................................................................................................................. 23 Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 23 Chemicals ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Making cities more sustainable ........................................................................................................... 28 PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ................................................................... 32 4. GREEN TAXATION, GREEN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING AND INVESTMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 32 Green public procurement .................................................................................................................. 33 Environmental funding and investments ............................................................................................ 34 5. STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE .......................................................................... 37 Information, public participation and access to justice....................................................................... 37 Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 39 Effectiveness of environmental administrations ................................................................................. 40 International agreements .................................................................................................................... 42 Sustainable development and the implementation of the UN SDGs .................................................. 43 2 Environmental Implementation Review 2019 – Italy Executive summary Italy and the Environmental Implementation Review compliant agglomerations under the Urban Waste Water (EIR) Treatment Directive. This has led to the imposition of fines by the CJEU. Investments must continue in land-use In the 2017 EIR Report, the main challenges identified planning (to reduce soil sealing) and in flood control. with regard to implementation in Italy were: On air quality there has been limited progress in reducing improve waste management, in particular by emissions as a whole, and agreements between the reducing landfilling and increasing separate collection national government and regional governments have of waste in the southern regions; been concluded. These agreements have included improve urban waste-water treatment through planning measures (such as limited traffic zones), fiscal appropriate investment; incentives and technical improvements to cars. However, reduce particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide for both particulate matter and NO2 there were emissions by reducing traffic congestion and biomass exceedances reported for 2016 and 2017. The main burning; reason for exceedances is Italy’s high level of road traffic, designate the remaining Natura 2000 sites as special with over 80 % of trips made by private car, as well as areas of conservation and ensure that the Natura inefficient domestic combustion. Progress must also be 2000 network is managed so that it achieves made in reducing subsidies to company cars, achieving favourable conservation status for all species and parity between petrol and diesel fuel prices, and investing habitats. in more sustainable modes of transport. Italy organised four thematic EIR seminars in 2017-2018 On the Natura 2000 network there are still some special on general issues, waste, air and water. There has also areas of conservation waiting to be designated. The been a dialogue held between the Commission and Italy conservation status of habitats and species of EU interest about the EU's action plan on nature. The Commission must also be improved by fully implementing the Natura launched in 2017 the TAIEX-EIR Peer-to-Peer (EIR P2P), as 2000 instruments, using the regional prioritised action a new practical tool facilitating peer-to-peer learning frameworks to better integrate EU funds, and planning between environmental authorities. Italy has profited of investments more strategically. EU support with the EIR peer to peer programme activities on air pollution and forests. The regionalised The 2019 EIR shows that Italy could make more efficient structure of Italy means responsibilities are shared use of EU funds and loan opportunities, by avoiding between the national and regional levels. This means that reallocation from the environment to other sectors and effective coordination is needed within a system of by increasing fund absorption with targeted capacity- multi-level governance. The government’s environmental building activities. programme must be achieved. Examples of good practice Progress in meeting the challenges since 2017 report Italy has created specialised environmental police There has been some progress on waste