Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000477/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gaetano Pedulla’ (The Left)
The ongoing unplanned maintenance work to the dam in the Lavagnina reservoir in the municipality of Casaleggio Boiro (Alessandria) caused in June 2024 a large volume of mud to spill from the base of the dam into the water courses downstream, something not foreseen in the initial project.
Both the dam and the Gorzente, an intermittent stream downstream of it, form part of site of community importance (SCI)/special protection area (SPA) IT1180026 ‘Capanne di Marcarolo’, which is part of the Natura 2000 network, protected by the Habitats and Birds Directives, and declared a special area of conservation (SAC) by the ministerial decree of 21 November 2017.
Given that this sludge spillage, caused by work subsidised from the EU’s development and cohesion funds, has seriously damaged the environment – causing significant harm to river fauna, as documented by complaints from two citizens’ committees and two local ‘Legambiente’ pro-environment associations – while the local authorities have stood idly by, can the Commission say whether:
- 1.The maintenance work on the Lavagnina dam was carried out in accordance with the EU standards set out in the Habitats and Birds Directives, given that the work was carried out with EU funding?
- 2.It intends to hold the local authorities to account by requesting an independent scientific report on the environmental and economic damage caused and on how to remedy it?
- 3.It intends to ensure that any future measures requested by the Commission are actually carried out?
Submitted: 4.2.2025