June 28, 2026

Ombudsman Investigates Brussels’ Inaction on Former Ilva

July 20, 2025
44885

Brussels (ANSA) – The European Ombudsman, responsible for investigating maladministration within EU institutions, has initiated an inquiry into the European Commission regarding its alleged inaction on the former Ilva case in Italy. This follows an infringement procedure that was initiated in 2013 for breaches of EU regulations concerning industrial emissions and environmental standards.

The investigation was prompted by a complaint from M5S MEP Valentina Palmisano. In a communication to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Ombudsman has requested a comprehensive report detailing the actions taken since the initial formal notice was issued to Rome, marking the beginning of the sanction process, by September 30.

To facilitate the investigation, Teresa Anjinho, the Ombudsman’s appointed team member, is required to review the entire case file associated with the infringement procedure by the same September 30 deadline. The Ombudsman has also asked for “copies of all correspondence and relevant documents exchanged between the Commission and Italian authorities, including any materials not formally recorded” (July 17).

Comments

10 responses to “Ombudsman Investigates Brussels’ Inaction on Former Ilva”

  1. pinball wizard Avatar
    pinball wizard

    Looks like Brussels is on a real roll, eh? Taking nearly a decade to look into industrial emissions is the kind of efficiency that would make a tortoise blush! 🐢💼

    Reply
  2. Mammoth 2 Avatar
    Mammoth 2

    Looks like Brussels is on the case—about time, eh? 🤔 Maybe if they moved as fast as they do on their coffee breaks, we wouldn’t need an Ombudsman for this sort of thing! ☕️

    Reply
  3. Bad Princess Avatar
    Bad Princess

    Oh, brilliant! Just what we needed—another deep dive into bureaucracy while the real issues linger like stale bread at a trattoria. Can’t wait to see how long it takes for the Commission to remember they even exist! 😏

    Reply
  4. Miss Rum Punch Avatar
    Miss Rum Punch

    Oh, fantastic! It only took a decade for someone to notice that the EU’s got its head stuck in the sand while Italy’s industrial emissions are doing the tango. 📅💨 What’s next? A bake-off to decide who gets to clean up the mess?

    Reply
  5. Shade Nightman Avatar
    Shade Nightman

    Oh, look at that! Brussels finally found time in their busy schedule of doing nothing to take a peek at Ilva. Must be nice to have all those deadlines when you’re not actually working! 😂

    Reply
  6. Lilac Lizard Avatar
    Lilac Lizard

    Just what we needed, another investigation to remind us that bureaucracy moves slower than a snail on strike. 🙄 At this rate, the only thing getting emitted from Brussels is hot air! 💨

    Reply
  7. Canary Apple Red Avatar
    Canary Apple Red

    Looks like Brussels is on the case… finally! Maybe they were just waiting for the right moment to look busy while sipping their espresso. ☕️🧐

    Reply
  8. stallion patton Avatar
    stallion patton

    Oh, look, another day, another investigation – who knew Brussels could actually do something other than serve waffles? 🍽️ I’m sure the ex-Ilva drama will be wrapped up quicker than a Eurocrat’s lunch break. 😂

    Reply
  9. Roadspike Avatar
    Roadspike

    Looks like Brussels is busy polishing its reputation while Italy’s industrial mess gathers dust. Can’t wait to see how many shades of “we’ll get to it” they can come up with this time! 😂

    Reply
  10. Achilles Mountain Avatar
    Achilles Mountain

    You’d think that after a decade of foot-dragging, the Commission would’ve at least found their reading glasses. But hey, at least someone’s finally paying attention to the whole Ilva saga—better late than never, eh? 😏

    Reply

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