Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000237/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Dario Tamburrano (The Left)
The Special Government Commissioner for the Jubilee in the Catholic Church has given permission[1] for a biodigester to be built in Casal Selce, on the outskirts of Rome. It will process 120 000 tonnes of municipal organic waste per year. It is financed by Decree-Law 17/5/2022, No 50[2], under which Italy commits[3] to honour, for this construction, ‘its commitments under the national recovery and resilience plan approved by the Commission’, and therefore to comply with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852. This requirement is mentioned in the contract[4].
Set to produce biomethane and composted soil improver, the plant will take 165 900 m2 of farmland[5] out of production[6]. This is a highly inefficient use of land given that Rome abounds with industrial land and brownfield sites[7]; indeed, the citizens’ committees say that they requested the relevant list from the Municipality, but to no avail.
The plant has been exempted from application of the 2012/18 directive[8] on the grounds that its liquid biomethane storage capacity does not exceed 50 tonnes. The biogas gasometer (500 m3) and the gases present in the four digesters (each with a volume of 4 700 m3) have not been considered, as the gas volumes they contain are not included in the plans.
In light of the above, can the Commission answer the following:
- 1.With reference to this plant, is Italy honouring its commitments under the national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) approved by the Commission?
- 2.Has Directive 2012/18/EU been correctly applied? If not, what action will the Commission take?
- 3.Is the plant in keeping with Regulation (EU) 2024/1991?
Submitted: 21.1.2025
- [1] https://commissari.gov.it/media/ggwjm2mm/rm20230002723-ord-cs-_paur-casal-selce_signed_firmato.pdf; annexes: https://commissari.gov.it/media/zotncgaz/rm20230002723-ordinanza-n18_2023_casal-selce_all.zip.
- [2] https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2022-05-17;50, vedansi art. 42 e decreti attuativi https://dait.interno.gov.it/finanza-locale/documentazione/decreto-31-agosto-2022; https://dait.interno.gov.it/finanza-locale/documentazione/decreto-7-agosto-2023.
- [3] Article 42(2).
- [4] Annex 1.
- [5] AMACS G24 plans, annex 2.
- [6] Some of the planning documentation is held by the Lazio regional authorities in p7m format (https://regionelazio.app.box.com/v/VIA-095-2022/folder/175244597741).
- [7] https://www.romatoday.it/politica/siti-industriali-dismessi-roma.html.
- [8] Annexes to the Special Government Commissioner’s order (see first footnote).