The European Commission (EC) isexamining information received from the Italian authorities inrecent weeks pertaining to an infringement procedure opened in2013 in relation to alleged non-compliance with EU regulationson industrial emissions at the then Ilva steelworks in thesouthern Puglia port city of Taranto, a spokesperson said onWednesday.
"The Commission has actively monitored the progress of theItalian authorities in addressing the issues of non-compliancewith the Industrial Emissions Directive raised in the reasonedopinion" sent to Italy in April 2014, the EC spokesperson toldANSA.
"The Italian authorities adopted an environmental plan in 2017with the intention to resolve these issues by August 23, 2023,"the spokesman added.
In the procedure, the EC complained that operations at theformer Ilva plant, now called Acciaierie d'Italia, failed tocomply with EU legislation on industrial emissions, withpotentially serious consequences for human health and theenvironment.
"Although some shortcomings have been addressed, severalbreaches of the Industrial Emissions Directive remain," said thereasoned opinion sent by the EC almost 10 years ago.
These included "shortcomings such as lack of compliance withpermit conditions, inadequate management of by-products andwaste, and insufficient protection and monitoring of soil andgroundwater", according to the letter.
The massive plant that is southern Italy's single biggestemployer directly and indirectly had already been blamed for amajor environmental and health disaster over a number of years,amidst near-crippling economic woes.
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