On illegal dumping and burning of toxic waste in Rome 

The petitioner reports the pollution of the soil and air in the eastern districts of Rome caused by dangerous illegal dumping and burning of waste in travellers’ sites and neighbouring areas. The practice, known as ‘land of fires’, is spreading a deadly cocktail of dangerous buried or incinerated waste which mixes with toxic fumes and fuels an illegal waste processing system, as well as the illegal recovery of scrap metal, obtained through unauthorised means. At European level, the Commission acted by conducting a survey in 2014 (EU PILOT 6165/14/ENVI) aimed at identifying any breaches of the Waste Framework Directive regarding the protection of human health and the environment (Article 13 of Directive 2008/98/EC), receiving the commitment of the competent authorities (Ministries and municipal administrations) to adopt appropriate measures to combat the practice of illegal dumping and burning of toxic waste and to clean up the areas affected. At national and local level, the practice was the subject of an investigation by the ‘parliamentary committee on safety conditions and the deterioration of cities and their outskirts’, as well as being monitored by the technical regional agency for environmental protection, ‘ARPA Lazio’. Despite the exceptional measures announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Municipal Administration (including military control in the areas affected), on-site analyses carried out during summer 2017 revealed huge levels of polluting materials and pathogenic agents (dioxins and furans). As a result, the petitioner requests that the European institutions work with national competent authorities to identify all possible breaches of Community obligations in this domain.