Italy Failing to Protect ‘Land of Fires’ Inhabitants – ECHR

Rome: The Italian State is failing in its duty to ensure the safety of the inhabitants in Campania’s so-called ‘Land of Fires’ (Terra dei Fuochi), an area where criminal organisations have dumped and burned trash and toxic waste for decades, the European Court of Human Rights said in a ruling on Thursday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Court stated that Italy had “failed to deal with such a serious situation with the diligence and expedition required – despite having known about the problem for many years – specifically in assessing the problem, preventing its continuation, and communicating to the affected public.” This negligence has reportedly impacted approximately 2.9 million residents in the region, where increased rates of cancer and pollution of groundwater have been recorded.

The Court ruled that Italy had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which pertains to the right to life. It further mandated that Italy has two years to draft a comprehensive strategy to address the Terra dei Fuochi crisis, implement an independent monitoring mechanism, and establish a public information platform to keep residents informed.

Additionally, the Court mentioned that 35 pending applications concerning the Land of Fires from around 4,700 applicants will be adjourned during this period, highlighting the urgency and breadth of the issue at hand.