EU questions Italy's Sicily bridge plan on environmental issues

(Bloomberg) -Italia’s long delayed plan for a landmark bridge of € 13.5 billion ($ 15.9 billion) connecting Sicily to the continent is checked from the European Union, with regulators printing the government for more information on the environmental impact of the project. A letter written by the EU’s executive arm this week to the Italian government, seen by Bloomberg News, said it identified ‘areas that needed explanation, as well as further measures that the Italian authorities’ should help’, address any ‘shortcomings’ before the development of the development or initiative works is granted. In addition, the commission wants to discuss the impact on animal habitats, as well as compensation measures, and issues related to water, air and noise. Although under the current circumstances, the commission is unlikely to move to block the project, any delay can contribute to the timetable for completing the bridge connecting Sicily and Calabria. In his letter, the European Commission said he had received formal complaints and requests for information from various parties, and that the extra information would enable it to respond to the “most appropriate way”. A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed that it was in contact with the Italian authorities on the Messina Bridge project, which was notified to Brussels in June. In August, the Italian government approved the project to build a 3.6 kilometer (2.2 miles) bridge after decades of false start. The plan is currently at the country’s auditors, which is expected to give its opinion by November. Once this happens, work on the surrounding infrastructure, such as railway and highway approaches, can begin, followed by the construction of the bridge itself. The government targeted 2032 for completion – a timetable that describes the letter as “ambitious”. The project faces a tight resistance to the political opposition of Italy and some residents’ groups, which says the bridge will destroy the landscape and have significant environmental consequences, while the local economy provides no real advantage, which has long been deteriorating the country’s North. Hundreds of families would also lose their property as soon as the construction of the bridge begins. The bridge is a cap project of the Matteo Salvini of the league, a deputy premier and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. His ministry declined to comment. The Ministry of Environmental Affairs in Italy did not respond to a request for comment. The commission said it was ‘in contact’ with the Italian authorities on the project. “All projects implemented in member states must comply with the EU legislation,” it states. More stories like these are available on Bloomberg.com © 2025 Bloomberg LP