Answer ... (a) Air
Legislative Decree 155/2010 implemented Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. The decree provides definitions of the following:
- limit values;
- target values;
- information and alarm thresholds;
- critical levels; and
- long-term objectives.
It also identifies the list of pollutants for which monitoring is mandatory and specifies the methods of transmission and the information on the state of air quality that must be sent to the Ministry of the Environment on a regular basis.
Legislative Decree 152/2006, Part V – which applies to all plants (including civil plants) and to activities that produce emissions – contains provisions on:
- emission values;
- prescriptions;
- sampling methods;
- analysis of emissions; and
- the criteria for assessing the conformity of the values measured within the limits of the law.
With regard to the containment of emissions and greenhouse gases, Directive 2284/2016 was implemented by the Italian government through Legislative Decree 81/2018, which established the new national commitments to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, ammonia and fine particulate matter. Directive 2009/29/EC was implemented by Legislative Decree 30/2013, further amended by Legislative Decree 111/2015, concerning the assignment and release of greenhouse gas emission quotas for air transport activities.
(b) Soil
The Italian legislation focuses on reducing the risk of floods and landslides. It includes provisions on the assessment of hydrogeological risk and the grant of financial aid or funding for hydrogeological risk mitigation interventions or demolition or removal of illegal properties in areas at risk.
(c) Fresh water
The Italian legislation dealing with water is extremely broad and covers many issues, such as:
- groundwater;
- surface water;
- transitional water (surface water bodies near the mouth of a river, which are partially saline in nature due to their proximity to coastal waters, but substantially affected by freshwater streams);
- bathing water; and
- waste water.
(d) Sea water
Legislative Decree 190/2010 implemented EU Directive 2008/56. Pursuant to this decree, the Ministry of the Environment is in charge of assessing the environmental status of marine waters and the impact of anthropogenic activities on the marine environment through:
- the definition of environmental goals;
- the development of coordinated monitoring programmes, aimed at continuously assessing the state of the marine environment; and
- the development of programmes of measures to achieve and maintain good environmental status.
This step-by-step process is repeated every six years for each marine region or sub-region identified by the directive. Italy falls within the Mediterranean Sea region, which is divided into the following sub-regions:
- the Western Mediterranean Sea;
- the Adriatic Sea;
- the Ionian Sea; and
- the Central Mediterranean Sea.
(e) Flora and fauna
In 2010, Italy issued a National Biodiversity Strategy based on cooperation between the various institutional, social and economic actors involved, which are committed to working together to stop the decline of biodiversity.
The strategy is divided into three key themes:
- biodiversity and ecosystem services;
- biodiversity and climate change; and
- biodiversity and economic policies.
The strategy also provides for three supervisory bodies:
- the Joint Committee for Biodiversity;
- the National Observatory for Biodiversity; and
- the Consultation Table.
According to the National Strategy for Biodiversity, every two years a report on the implementation and effectiveness of the strategy itself must be drafted. To this end, a set of indicators is listed, consisting of:
- 10 status indicators, which aim to represent and evaluate the state of biodiversity in Italy; and
- 30 evaluation indicators, which are designed to assess the effectiveness of the actions carried out to meet the objectives of the strategy.
(f) Natural habitats and scenic landscapes
Protected areas are an important instrument for the protection of habitats. About 10% of the national territory is protected through the creation of the following protected areas, each with different natural characteristics:
- national parks;
- regional natural parks;
- nature reserves;
- marine protected areas;
- wetlands; and
- other types of areas.
These are listed in an Official List of Protected Areas, which is periodically updated by the Ministry of the Environment and includes all protected natural areas – marine and terrestrial – that have been officially recognised.
The extent of the area to be protected and the specific protection regime will determine how a specific protected area should be classified. National and regional parks are the largest protected areas.
Each area is subject to levels of protection and prohibitions that correspond to its qualitative and quantitative importance. The protection regime thus depends on the scientific value of the area to be protected: the greater the environmental merits, the greater the protection.