Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has signalled that the European Commission will assess whether Italy's 2026 decree on waste heat from incineration complies with EU renewable energy law, in an answer to a parliamentary question from Dario Tamburrano (The Left). The Commissioner's response, dated 24 July 2026, indicates that if non-conformity is found, the Commission will raise the issue directly with Italian authorities.
The question concerned Italy's Decree-Law No 5 of 9 January 2026, which classifies heat from municipal solid waste incineration plants as waste heat eligible for counting towards renewable energy targets, even when using non-biological fractions of waste. Tamburrano asked whether this aligns with Directive (EU) 2023/2413 and the Commission's 2024 guidance on waste heat.
waste heat must be a by-product of a process whose primary purpose is not heat production. Heat from cogeneration plants, where co-producing heat and electricity is the primary aim, does not qualify. The Commission will now examine the Italian decree against these criteria.
The answer is a formal response to a parliamentary question and contains no immediate enforcement action, but signals the Commission's intent to monitor transposition closely. No timeline for the assessment was given. The issue affects Italy's renewable energy accounting and the treatment of incineration in national energy targets, with implications for waste management operators and district heating companies.