The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled against Italy for the second time due to the breach of EU waste legislation in the Campania region. Italy has been ordered to pay a lump sum fine of €20m and a penalty of €120,000 per day which applies from 16 July until the country has achieved full compliance with the Court’s first judgment in this matter, which was handed down in 2010.
In its new judgement published on Thursday, the Court confirmed the European Commission's arguments. According to the EU authority, there is a structural deficit of capacity for treating municipal waste in the southern Italian region. In addition, a large backlog of six million tonnes of historical waste which was baled and stored as an interim solution still needs to be treated. The Commission estimates that this may take 15 years.
