Posts Tagged G8

Little known G-8 fact: the European Commission is pursuing infringement proceedings against Italy for side-stepping rules on environmental impact assessments, when constructing the facilities for the G-8 on La Maddalena, the island off Sardinia where the summit was supposed to take place.

The Commission sent in March a second warning to the Italians, because in preparation for the G-8, the Italian government suspended normal rules on environmental impact assessments for the La Maddalena construction work, and also for works relating to the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy in 2011.

Of course, the Summit venue has since been switched to L’Aquila, for entirely understandable reasons, following the deadly earthquake in Italy on 6 April. Nevertheless, Italian taxpayers will end up footing the bill for a €327 million white elephant on La Maddalena, covering the area of about 22 football pitches.

The G-8 website cheerfully admits the La Maddalena facility cost “far more” than expected, but says the complex will be “the G-8 project’s legacy” to the island, consisting of hotels “and new and lasting opportunities for more general employment.” Let’s hope it works out that way: La Maddalena has a population of about 15,000, so that’s a lot of facility for not many people.

And it may turn out to be illegal – the Commission has received a response from the Italians to its March letter, and is “now assessing it.” New step could be a trip to the European Court of Justice.