Press Release: Commission asks Court to impose fines on Italy and France over breaches of EU environmental law

The European Commission has decided to refer Italy and France to the European Court of Justice a second time for failure to comply with judgements by the European Court of Justice from 2004. The Commission also asks the Court to impose fines on Italy and France. Italy has infringed the EU’s Waste Framework Directive by failing to clean up illegal landfills in Manfredonia and Rodano. This directive is a key instrument for protecting human health and the environment from the negative effects caused by the collection, handling and disposal of waste. The Commission proposes that Italy be fined a lump sum in excess of €19 million for the Rodana landfill and a daily penalty of €192,844.80 if there is still no clean-up after a second Court ruling. For the Manfredonia landfill, the lump sum proposed is in excess of €9.920 million and the daily penalty is €85,708.80.

France has not fully transposed the EU Directive on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment. This Directive aims to safeguard human health and the environment against the potential risk of contamination by GMOs. The Commission proposes that France be fined a lump sum in excess of € 38 million and a daily penalty of €366,744. if the legislation is still not in place after a second Court ruling.

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