Italy condemned by the EU Court of Justice for failure to treat waste water

The Court of Justice of the European Union has imposed heavy financial sanctions on Italy for failing to comply with obligations relating to the collection and treatment of urban wastewater in four agglomerations. The verdict, issued on 27 March 2025, confirms a legal case that began over a decade ago, with significant implications for the environment and public health.

An unacceptable delay

Already in 2014, the Court had established that Italy had not complied with the European directive on waste water treatment (91/271/EEC) in 41 agglomerations. Despite the time that has passed and repeated reminders, the country has not managed to fully comply with the ruling, leaving five areas uncovered:

– Castellammare del Golfo I (Sicily),

– Cinisi (Sicily),

– Terrasini (Sicily),

– Trappeto (Sicily) and

– Courmayeur (Aosta Valley).

Just for trappeto,  works were completed, while for the other four locations the situation remained unchanged.

The sanctions: 10 million euros immediately, 13,4 million every six months of delay

The Court sentenced Italy to pay a lump sum of 10 million euro, to which will be added a penalty of 13.687.500 euros for every six months of delay in the adjustment, starting from the date of the verdict (April 27, 2025) until full compliance with the obligations. The sanctions reflect the seriousness of the infringement, its duration (more than 20 years from the expiry of the initial terms) and the economic capacity of the State.

The failure to treat waste water, the Court underlines, represents a environmental damage very serious, especially because the discharges from the four areas involved end up in sensitive areas. Although the number of non-compliant agglomerations has decreased from 41 to 4, the impact persists, threatening ecosystems and public health.

Reactions and regulatory context

The legal action was launched by the European Commission after Italy failed to comply with the 2014 ruling by the deadline (18 May 2018). The procedure is part of the EU infringement mechanism, which provides for financial sanctions for non-compliant member states.

The Court acknowledged that infrastructure works take time, but eleven years late they were deemed excessive, especially considering the urgency of protecting the environment.

Next steps

Italy will now have to speed up interventions in the four remaining areas to avoid the accumulation of penalties. Meanwhile, the case turns the spotlight back on critical issues in the management of water services in the country, a topic often at the center of controversy and infrastructural delays.

Marta Strinati

References

Court of Justice of the European Union. Case number = C-515/23 https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-515/23

Marta Strinati

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