Commission refers Italy to ECJ

摘要

Expected for several weeks, the decision was made official on 6 May: the European Commission is taking Italy to the EU Court of Justice over the waste crisis that has plagued the Naples region (Campania). It also took the opportunity to remind Rome of another case, also on waste treatment, this time in Lazio, as the Italian authorities have not applied a first ruling handed down by the Court in June 2007, the Commission has ordered them to comply under pain of a second referral to the Court. Though the Commission says it has dealt with the question of waste management in the Naples region as an emergency, imposing shorter answering times on Rome following receipt of warnings, one cannot but notice that for an official procedure initiated almost one year ago - and a problem that Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas described as "very old" - it shows evidence of a long wait. The Commission, which multiplied missions and contacts in Italy, admits that it received drafts for the improvement of the management and treatment of waste for this region. But, it says, the implementation schedule set out is not satisfactory. It also says it distrusts Italy: this is not the first time that plans have been submitted on the subject but until now these have never been followed up. It will be up to the Court of Justice to judge the pertinence of these drafts, says a source close to the Commission.