Brussels – Environment, transport, pension rights: there is a bit of everything in the six new infringement procedures that the European Commission has opened against Italy. Another blow for the Meloni government, already hit by the December package, which consisted of seven new and old procedures brought forward. Among the decisions taken in Brussels today (January 30), what stands out are the six separate letters of formal notice, which amount to the opening of new infringement cases against the country.
There are two problems that are now structural for Italy: the Water Directive and air quality. First of all, the European Commission notes that in Italy, national legislation “does not guarantee” the registration of every water abstraction or impoundment permit, such as impounding water by building a dam. Furthermore, the national authorities are accused of failing to update air pollution control programmes to reduce emissions of substances harmful to air quality.
Two new procedures concern transport and logistics. First of all, Italy is accused of
failing to comply with the Regulation on port services by imposing
the obligation for ships used for towing and mooring in their respective ports to fly the national flag. This “is not correct,” as the Port Services Regulation already empowers the Member States to enforce such national social and labour laws regardless of the flag of the vessel subject to an inspection. Secondly, Italy has “not fully transposed” the Directive on intelligent transport systems into its national law. “In the list of January infringements, Italy appears among the member states sanctioned also for failing to notify the national measures transposing the directive that streamlines reporting obligations in the areas of food and food ingredients, external noise, patients’ rights, and radio equipment. Finally, the procedure for breach of the principle of sincere cooperation under EU law. The breach concerns “Italy’s shortfall to negotiate in good faith an agreement with the European Central Bank (ECB) on the transfer of pension rights of EU officials,” explains the note accompanying the College of Commissioners’ decisions. Under the rules in force, an agreement between a Member State and an EU institution is required to allow EU officials to transfer their national pension rights to the pension scheme of the EU institution. According to the Commission, “Italy has obstructed the negotiations of this agreement with the ECB.” Hence, the decision was made to open the infringement procedure.
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