ITALY Law and Practice Contributed by: Francesco Fonderico, Elettra Monaci, Eugenio Fidelbo and Marco Pellizzola, Ambientalex Studio Legale
The objective of the European Green Deal is to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent. Italy has (in particular) taken a position on decarbonisation, believing that it should be pursued in an effective but progressive manner. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) The aforementioned sectors are also involved in the funding under the NRRP. This programme has set aside an amount of EUR59 billion for Mission No 2 (green revolution and climate change mitigation/adap - tation objectives). In absolute figures, Italy’s NRRP is the largest national plan under the unprecedented EU response to the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy’s NRPP was updated on 8 Decem - ber 2023 to introduce a REPowerEU chapter in order to respond to the global energy market disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On 10 October 2025, Italy submitted a request to the European Commission to amend the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), invoking Arti - cle 21 of Regulation (EU) 2021/241, which allows for amendments justified by objective circumstances. The proposed revision of the PNRR, approved by the PNRR Steering Committee on 26 September 2025, provided for a financial realignment of EUR14.15 bil - lion (while maintaining the total budget of EUR194.4 billion), specifically regarding 34 measures (invest - ments and reforms). The Mediterranean Area At present, within the framework of transnational inter- regional co-operation (such as the Interreg EURO- MED programme or other forms of co-operation), adaptation strategies and plans have not been devel - oped for the Mediterranean area. In July 2025, a regional meeting on climate change adaptation was held, during which experts from the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention agreed on an updated Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework (RCCAF) for the period 2026– 2035, which calls for a strengthened regional response aimed at improving climate resilience in the Mediter - ranean’s coastal and marine areas.
It remains necessary for Italy to assume a new role in the Mediterranean area for co-operation in the actions necessary to tackle climate change, considering that due to its geographical position Italy is exposed both to direct impacts and to the consequences of these impacts in countries on the Mediterranean’s southern shores. In this regard, on 2 January 2026, Italy deposited its instrument of ratification of the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in the Mediterra - nean, which establishes a common framework for the integrated management of the Mediterranean coastal zone. The Protocol entered into force for Italy on 1 Febru - ary 2026, making Italy the 13 Contracting Party to the Barcelona Convention to ratify it. 2. National Policy and Legal Regime (Overview) 2.1 National Climate Change Policy Italy’s national climate change policy is determined by the multilateral and regional EU regime. The EU regime sets out the objectives, standards and key strategies of the national legislation according to the evidence of climate change science. To this end, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) served as the European Commission’s scientific and knowledge service. In addition, it participates in international pro - grammes such as, among others, the Intergovern - mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). At a national level, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) relies on the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), providing it with technical and scientific support. In October 2022, MASE, in collaboration with ISPRA, launched the National Platform on Adaptation to Cli - mate Change which aims to facilitate the exchange of information between the central government, local authorities and all stakeholders on the topic of climate
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