Italy to blame for Naples rubbish crisis, EU court rules (Roundup)

Mar 4, 2010, 11:20 GMT

Luxembourg - The Italian government is to blame for the 2007 crisis which saw thousands of tonnes of domestic rubbish piling up on the streets of Naples and in the Campania region, because it did not set up adequate systems to deal with it, the European Union court ruled Thursday.

The crisis saw rotting mounds of refuse heaped in the streets and led locals to light impromptu pyres in a major embarrassment to the Italian authorities. The EU took Italy to court over the issue, saying that the government had failed to set up a proper waste disposal system.

Italy argued that the crisis was caused by forces beyond its control, especially organized-crime networks, and by the failure of local contractors to do their job.

But on Thursday the EU's court in Luxembourg ruled that the crisis revealed 'a structural deficit in terms of installations, which it has not been possible to remedy' - rather than criminal action.

Moreover, during the hearings, Italy 'acknowledged that, on the expiry of the deadline set ... the installations then existing and operational in the region were a long way from being able to meet its actual needs,' effectively undermining its own argument.

Therefore, 'by failing to establish an adequate and integrated network of installations for the recovery and disposal of waste as close as possible to the place where that waste is produced ... Italy has failed to fulfil its obligations under the (EU's) Waste Directive,' a statement from the court said.

The Italian authorities had argued that the crisis, while serious, had not caused health problems for the people of Campania.

But the court ruled that the estimated 55,000 tonnes of rubbish piled by the roads, an extra 110,000 tonnes left untreated in municipal storage and the fires lit by infuriated locals had posed a serious threat to health and the environment.

'The waste caused a nuisance through odours and damaged the countryside, thus harming the environment. Moreover, Italy itself admitted that the situation was dangerous for human health, which was exposed to certain risk,' the statement said.

Italy must now bring its laws and waste-disposal systems into line with the court's ruling as fast as possible, or face the possibility of more legal action and a fine.