The second infringement procedure within four months on the topic of water policies. Italy, in fact, is once again under observation for water management.
The European Commission has started a new infringement procedure against our country for the transposition “incomplete and incorrect” of the updated drinking water directive, EU Directive 2020/2184.
The European drinking water directive, updated in 2020, was born with a specific objective: to guarantee safer, controlled and accessible water for all. And member states had until January 12, 2023 to comply. Italy did it formally, but according to Brussels it did it badly.
Because Europe is calling to Italy
There are several critical issues in the spotlight:
In essence, the legislation exists, but is not applied effectively and completely.
Microplastics and endocrine disruptors: the new risks
The revision of the directive is not a technical detail: it introduces for the first time concrete attention to “emerging pollutants”. And we talk about substances such as:
Elements that can have effects on human health and the environment and which undoubtedly would need more rigorous and updated monitoring.
This is not an isolated case: already in January Italy had ended up under proceedings for the poor application of the Water Framework Directive, which concerns the overall management of rivers, lakes and aquifers.
In that case, the critical issues concerned:
What happens now
The Government now has two months to respond to the Commission. If the explanations are not considered sufficient, the process will continue:
- reasoned opinion from the EU
- formal request for adjustment
- possible appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union
With the risk of economic sanctions.
Because it affects all of us
Why are we talking about:
In a context marked by climate crisis, drought and excessive consumption, water becomes a central issue – and European rules serve precisely to prevent it from being managed in an inefficient or risky way.
