Former ILVA, EU Ombudswoman investigates alleged inaction by the European Commission

Brussels – The European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho, has officially opened an investigation to see how the European Commission has handled the infringement procedure against Italy for violations of environmental rules related to the ILVA steel plant in Taranto. “Significant and unjustified” delays, non-transparent communication, and no recourse to the EU Court of Justice: the accusation launched against Brussels by local activists and 5-Star Movement MEP Valentina Palmisano is serious—inaction, if not outright complicity. 

Anjinho herself communicated the opening of the dossier in a letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen. Now the European Commission will have until 30 September to clarify in detail the measures taken since the first letter of formal notice was sent to Rome twelve years ago. The EU Ombudswoman—the body that investigates complaints about maladministration involving European institutions—has also asked Brussels to examine “the entire file relating to the infringement procedure in question”: copies of any internal assessments and all correspondence and documents exchanged between the Commission and Italy. 

The investigation was launched following the complaint filed by Palmisano, who immediately thanked the Peacelink association and the citizens of Taranto “for the work done in recent months.” The Apulian MEP pointed out that “twelve years after the opening of the infringement procedure against Italy” and “despite an EU Court of Justice ruling imposing the suspension of industrial activities, nothing has been done, indeed the Commission has tried to bury the affair under a veil of silence.” 

The process that should take Italy to the Luxembourg court has essentially been at a standstill for more than a decade: even last 7 May the EU executive delivered a second letter of formal notice to the government, in which it reproached Italy for “not having fully and correctly transposed” the directive on industrial emissions and of not having complied with “certain provisions of that Directive with regard to the Acciaierie d’Italia plant in Taranto”, i.e., the ILVA plant.