REASONED OPINION TO ITALY ON PORT RECEPTION FACILITIES.

Transport Europe, June, 2009

Italy is under the threat of a fine for its failure to transpose correctly into national law the EU legislation that requires all ports to implement plans for the reception and handling of ship-generated waste (Directive 2000/59/EC on port reception facilities). The European Commission decided, on 14 May, to send Italy a reasoned opinion for non-compliance with an EU Court of Justice judgement ordering it to implement the legislation (ruling of 25 September 2008 in Case C-368/07).

If the matter is brought before the ECJ a second time, Italy could be fined for non-implementation of the earlier judgement. The deadline for transposition of the EU directive was 27 December 2002.