The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Italy failed to protect its citizens from the severe environmental and health hazards caused by the illegal disposal of toxic waste in Campania, commonly referred to as the “Land of Fires.”
The ruling follows a case brought by 41 residents and five regional organisations, highlighting decades of government inaction and negligence in addressing the hazardous waste crisis.
The Court’s Findings and Ruling
The ECHR’s decision underscores the Italian government’s prolonged failure to address the dumping and burning of industrial waste in the region, a practice controlled by the Camorra mafia. Since at least 1988, hazardous waste—including asbestos, car tyres, and industrial chemicals—has been illegally buried or incinerated in the open air, poisoning the environment. Instead of paying for legal waste disposal, businesses from northern Italy have relied on the Camorra to handle waste at a fraction of the cost, further exacerbating the crisis.
The court ruled that the Italian state had long been aware of the issue but failed to act with the necessary urgency. The judgment criticises Italy for not properly assessing the full extent of the problem, failing to prevent its continuation, and neglecting to inform affected communities. This failure, according to the ECHR, constitutes a violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to life.
The Human Cost of Government Inaction
For residents like Antonietta Moccia, who has spent years caring for her daughter Miriam after a brain tumour diagnosis at age five, the ruling is a long-awaited recognition of the state’s responsibility. Cancer rates in the region are significantly higher than the national average, and studies have confirmed a link between pollution and severe health conditions, including foetal and neonatal malformations.
Moccia, like many others, has received no help from the authorities and has had to rely on family and friends for support. She now hopes the ruling will push the government to clean up the contaminated territory and compensate affected families.
A Region Devastated by Pollution
The environmental impact of the waste crisis has been catastrophic. Years after the issue became public, mounds of hazardous waste still litter roadsides, waterways, and fields where livestock graze. Local farmer Alessandro Cannavacciuolo recalls how, in the early 2000s, his sheep gave birth to deformed lambs—some with two heads, extra tongues, or malformed limbs. As friends and relatives fell ill, he took it upon himself to locate and report illegal dump sites, often at great personal risk.
“We are at war. Anyone who raises their voice is threatened,” Cannavacciuolo said, detailing threats, car attacks, and animal killings aimed at silencing those exposing the crisis.
A Legacy of Negligence and Corruption
The Italian authorities have long been accused of turning a blind eye to the mafia’s control over waste management. Although parliament was informed about the dumping as early as 1997, it was not until 2013 that the government formally recognised the “Land of Fires” as an environmental disaster zone. Subsequent parliamentary inquiries have exposed both negligence and complicity at various levels of government.
In 2018, the Senate’s Hygiene and Health Committee confirmed that mafia criminality and political inaction had led to an ecological catastrophe. By 2021, Italy’s National Health Institute officially acknowledged a correlation between pollution and cancer rates in the region. Despite these findings, meaningful government intervention has remained absent.
Neither the Italian government nor the Campania regional administration responded to requests for comment following the ECHR ruling. Armando Corsini, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said he was unsurprised by their silence. “The state has done nothing to protect these victims and ensure that other cases do not occur,” he stated. “The Strasbourg court is the last resort to hold the Italian state accountable.”
The Road Ahead: Will Italy Act?
The ECHR has given Italy two years to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to address the crisis. Meanwhile, 36 similar cases, involving around 4,700 plaintiffs, have been postponed pending Italy’s response. The ruling puts significant pressure on the government to enact meaningful reforms, including stricter waste disposal regulations, improved enforcement, and compensation for affected residents.
For the people of Campania, the ruling represents both justice and a renewed call to action. With judicial pressure now reinforcing civic activism, Italy must finally confront the consequences of its long-standing inaction—or face further legal and social consequences.
Image: A fire at an illegal dump in the city of Scafati, near Naples, October 2019, courtesy of Angelo Ferrillo, www.laterradeifuochi.it
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