Italy cuts funding for protected natural areas by roughly 23%

The Ministry of Environment and Energy Security informed national parks, state reserves and marine protected areas that transfers for the current fiscal year will be reduced by about 23% compared with the previous allocation. The cut varies by entity, with some parks losing over €700,000. Nine environmental NGOs, including WWF Italia, Greenpeace Italia and Legambiente, described the measure as a hard blow to Italian nature, warning that mid‑year reductions jeopardise essential activities such as fire‑prevention, monitoring, public access, maintenance and environmental education.

The cuts run counter to the EU Nature Restoration Law, which aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. Regional responses differ: Emilia‑Romagna has earmarked €1.2 million for parks, the Marche region has provided almost no new resources, while Tuscany has launched a modest €3,000 support scheme for volunteer environmental guards. The funding reduction raises concerns about the continuity of conservation services throughout the hot summer season.