Commissioner Roswall, in a written answer on 17 July 2026, declined to intervene directly on cross-border odour emissions from the Livarna Gorica foundry in Slovenia, which has prompted hundreds of complaints from Italian residents in Gorizia. The answer, responding to a question by ECR MEP Alessandro Ciriani, states that the Commission is aware of the issue but will not seek further information from Slovenian authorities at this stage, as exchanges between Italian and Slovenian local authorities have already been initiated. The Commission instead points to existing EU legal frameworks: a December 2024 implementing decision on best available techniques (BAT) for foundries, which gives operators four years to update permits including on odour; Article 26 of the Industrial Emissions Directive requiring cross-border cooperation during permitting; and the Air Quality Directive's provisions on transboundary pollution. Roswall notes that 2024 data shows no exceedances of air quality standards for key pollutants in either Gorizia or Nova Gorica. The answer offers no concrete new measures, instead reiterating the Commission's general enforcement discretion and reliance on bilateral cooperation, leaving affected residents and local authorities without immediate EU-level action.
Source✉ Open answer ↗
Asked byAlessandro Ciriani (ECR)