Two Italian MEPs have asked the European Commission to investigate whether Italy is correctly applying the EU Water Framework Directive in authorising a large private biodigester in a groundwater protection area near Rome. Dario Tamburrano and Mario Fiore, both of the Greens/EFA group, submitted a written parliamentary question on 8 June 2026, warning that the facility could contaminate drinking water supplies and worsen local traffic congestion.
The biodigester, named 'Salone', is planned for Colle Monfortani on via Prenestina, with a capacity to process 75,000 tonnes of organic waste annually. The MEPs note that the site lies a few hundred metres from an organic farm attached to the Sereni agricultural school, whose wines have won awards at Vinitaly. They also point out that authorisation documents explicitly allow the facility in groundwater protection areas that feed an aqueduct, stating that 'no restrictions shall be placed on activities to be carried out in these areas'.
first, whether Italy is correctly applying the Water Framework Directive in this case, and if not, what action the Commission intends to take; second, whether the Commission is considering including this case in EU Pilot Procedure (2019)9541 on waste management in Lazio. The question contains concrete asks: it seeks a legal assessment of the authorisation's compatibility with EU water law and a specific procedural step (inclusion in an existing pilot procedure).
The MEPs' intervention reflects a cleavage between economic development and environmental protection, specifically between expanding waste-processing infrastructure and safeguarding groundwater resources. The biodigester would increase heavy vehicle traffic on the already congested via Prenestina, near existing waste facilities in Rocca Cencia. The Commission typically has six weeks to reply; its answer will signal whether it sees a potential breach of EU law and whether it will escalate the matter.