Over the last few years, the great attention to environmental issues resulted in a larger number of proceedings at the Public Prosecutor’s Offices (Procure della Repubblica). They increased from 4,774 in 2007 (the Consolidated Environmental Law was launched in 2006) to 12,953 in 2014. In 2016, they fell to 10,320. These proceedings regards the decision of Public Prosecutor Offices in order to charge the persons investigated or archive their position
These data show a greater number of proceedings for environmental violations in the South and Islands area (47.7% of the criminal proceedings in 2016), in the North they amounted to 30%.
In 2016, most of the alleged violations concerned waste management (8,792 proceedings) and wastewater (1,636). There are 170 procedures for the unauthorized transport of waste and 164 for the organized waste traffic. Compared to 2013, criminal actions issued for organized waste traffic decreased in 2016 (from 105 to 58).
The overall number of building laws violations declined: -55.9% between 2006 and 2016 for the prosecuted persons (the proceedings against known authors for which criminal action began in 2016 were 10,277, and 23,323 in 2006). The number of proceedings for this type of violation was higher in Campania, Lazio, Sicilia, Puglia, Calabria.
The number of cases reported for forest fires committed by unknown persons were still high (3,579 in 2015), while proceedings against known perpetrator were stable over time (500 in 2015). The areas most heavily affected by forest fires over the last years are located in the surroundings of Roma, in the South Pontine area and in some areas of Liguria and Puglia.
For information
Alessandra Capobianchi
ph. +39 06 4673.7277
capobian@istat.it
Claudio Caterino
caterino@istat.it
ph. +39 06 4673.7440
Maria Giuseppina Muratore
ph. +39 06 4673.7453
muratore@istat.it