Waste, the EU offers a "discount" to Campania: the maximum fine drops from €120 to €20 per day.

Naples – A breath of fresh air for the coffers of Palazzo Santa Lucia and, above all, a political and administrative recognition that at least partially heals a wound that has been open since 2015. The European Union has decided: the fine imposed on the Campania Region for its historic waste mismanagement has been drastically reduced. It goes from a hefty €120.000 per day to a much more modest €20.000.

The decision, leaked by regional sources, marks the end of a financial nightmare that has drained public resources for over a decade. The reduction in the fine is the result of a technical analysis that recognized the progress made during the De Luca administration's two terms.

The European Commission has scrutinized the infrastructure put in place to address the emergency, from incineration to organic waste treatment, to the thorny issue of eco-bales.

The untied knots: Acerra and Giugliano

The recovery process has been gradual but steady. Already in 2021, the EU acknowledged the full functionality of the Acerra waste-to-energy plant, a key pillar for closing the loop.

But the decisive turning point, the one that led to the current discount, concerns the organic fraction. Brussels acknowledged that, since July 2023, Campania has provided "sufficient evidence of compliance with the ruling," thanks in particular to the activation of the Giugliano plant in the province of Naples, which has been operational since June of that year.

Bonavitacola's strategy

Behind the numbers lies a precise negotiating strategy pursued in 2025 by Fulvio Bonavitacola, De Luca's longtime deputy for the Environment and now Councilor for Productive Activities in the new government led by Roberto Fico. Bonavitacola led a veritable diplomatic tug-of-war in Brussels, championing a position that resonated with European experts: Campania will not build new landfills.

The former vice president highlighted the paradox of European demands: you can't ban landfill disposal in principle and simultaneously fine the Region for not building new ones. The "Campania recipe" presented to the EU focuses entirely on reducing unsorted waste through increased separate waste collection. This is a line that, it seems, Europe has finally decided to endorse, easing the sanctions.