Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000543/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE)
The Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region recently approved[1] a preliminary policy paper concerning the project to form an inline flood retention basin by building an inline weir with vertical sluice gates upstream of the Dignano bridge [‘Costruzione di una traversa laminante, con luci mobili a paratoie piane, adiacente al ponte di Dignano per la creazione di un bacino di espansione in linea, in alveo attivo’][2].
As part of an appeal to preserve the River Tagliamento, the international scientific community[3] has highlighted that the planned works would violate a number of European regulations and EU environmental directives[4] and that the weir would be built on a Site of Community Importance[5] and across a river that is classified under Directive 2000/60/EC as a body of water of high ecological status[6]. Further shortcomings have been flagged by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and a number of associations[7] and activist groups[8].
Because climate change is a factor, the effective mitigation of hydrogeological risks requires an exhaustive analysis of all alternative proposals which, in addition to actively involving local communities, should also evaluate all potential benefits and drawbacks, not just flood risk.
Despite claims to the contrary, the Region’s project would not eliminate the flood risk in the Middle and Lower Tagliamento but only mitigate it, thus putting the planned works on a par with a number of alternative proposals that have not been given due consideration.
In the light of the above,
- 1.Will the Commission verify whether the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region’s project complies with EU law?
- 2.What is the Commission planning to do to protect the Tagliamento?
Submitted: 5.2.2025
- [1] Decision No 530 of 11 April 2024 of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region.
- [2] The works will be carried out as part of the Eastern Alps River Basin Authority’s Flood Risk Management Plan.
- [3] Coordinated by the Italian Centre for River Restoration (CIRF), this appeal was signed by over 800 researchers hailing from 35 countries https://www.freetagliamento.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Tagliamento_petition_26Oct24_EN_rev.pdf
- [4] They include the Water, Birds and Habitat Directives (Directives 2000/60/EC, 2009/147/EC and 92/43/EEC respectively), the Nature Restoration Law and the Alpine Convention.
- [5] Greto del Tagliamento SPA/SAC No IT3310007
- [6] https://distrettoalpiorientali.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PDG_22_27_Vol_4a.pdf.
- [7] They include ‘Assieme per il Tagliamento’ [‘All together for the Tagliamento’], whose petition against altering the river’s morphology has gathered 13 750 signatures.
- [8] https://www.consiglio.regione.fvg.it/pagineinterne/Portale/comunicatiStampaDettaglio.aspx?ID=867391.