Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has clarified that the Genoa dam project, worth around EUR 1.5 billion, is not financed under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) but through national resources, meaning EU recovery fund rules on technical safety and the 'Do No Significant Harm' (DNSH) principle do not apply. In a written answer on 23 July 2026 to a question from Gaetano Pedulla' (The Left), Dombrovskis stated that the project is funded under the National Complementary Fund, separate from the approved NRRP, and therefore the strict standards of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) are not applicable. On transparency, he noted that Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information requires member states to make such data available upon request, subject to limited exceptions, but stressed that enforcement is primarily a national responsibility.
The answer contains no concrete proposals or deadlines, instead deferring to member state authorities for compliance with EU law. The Commission's position effectively limits its own oversight role, signalling that Italy bears primary responsibility for ensuring the dam's structural integrity and transparency. No institutional follow-up is announced, leaving the matter to potential national legal challenges or complaints to the Commission as guardian of the Treaties.