Italian Court Rejects Municipal Appeals Over National Radioactive Waste Site Plan

The Regional Administrative Court of Lazio (TAR) declared inadmissible the appeals filed by the municipalities of Montalto di Castro, Arlena di Castro, Ischia di Castro and Tessennano against the National Cartography of Areas Eligible (CNAI) for the proposed national radioactive waste repository. The judges ruled that the municipalities lack a current, concrete interest because the administrative procedure has not yet identified a definitive site for the facility, and therefore the challenged documents cannot be annulled at this stage.

The court reiterated the procedural steps outlined in Article 27 of Legislative Decree No. 31/2010, noting that the CNAI is a preparatory act and that only a final decision designating a specific location could be subject to effective judicial review. The rulings also ordered compensation of legal costs due to the particular nature of the dispute. Future challenges may be possible once the site selection process is concluded.