The Terra Di Fuochi Waste-Scandal: Which Impacts On NATO’s “Free Mind In Consultation”?
- IJLLR Journal
- Jul 27
- 1 min read
Jacques BELLEZIT (University of Strasbourg)
On January 30th, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a pilot judgment in case “Cannavacciuolo and others v. Italy”.
In this case, the Strasbourg Court condemned Italy for violations of right to life in the “Land of Fire” (or Terra di Fuochi) scandal in the Italian region of Campania.
In this case, neighbors of illegal toxic waste dumps were affected by several types of cancers.
However, the said dumps were in the heart of a decades-long toxic waste management conundrum involving crime syndicates, public health issues, and environmental pollution with heavy metals or persistent organic pollutants.
Beyond the merits of the case, the Terra di Fuochi scandal may also have an impact on the nearby US Navy and NATO facilities located in Naples and, at large, on the geopolitical situation in the Mediterranean Sea.
This article aims to analyze the legal and geopolitical limbs of the Cannavacciuolo judgment.
Background of the scandal and procedure
Initiated at first by case-law before being integrated within the Rules of the Court, the pilot-judgment procedure allows the European Court of Human Rights, in cases dealing with“[...] the existence of a structural or systemic problem or other similar dysfunction which has given rise or may give rise to similar applications” to indicate to the respondent Government which measures can be taken by them, as well as to adjourn further applications until the said Government satisfied with the Court’s requirement.
