Environmental law: case law and regulatory updates

In the newsletter dedicated to environmental law, our professionals delve into the most recent developments in case legislation, law, and administrative practice.

At the regulatory level, attention is focused on the Integrated Environmental Authorisation and the Best Available Techniques, in light of an ever-evolving regulatory framework (Directive (EU) 2024/1785), as well as on the European and national rules on water reuse (Regulation (EU) 2020/741 and the draft Presidential Decree of 5 November 2025).

From a case-law perspective, several particularly significant decisions are examined:

1. Council of State (Section IV, 25 September 2025, No. 7534), addressing cumulative impacts and the absence of an obligation to adopt a formally unified procedure;
2. Council of State (Section IV, 4 August 2025, No. 6885), highlighting the urgency and immediacy of the preventive measures incumbent upon the property owner;
3. Regional Administrative Court of Piedmont (Turin, 3 November 2025, No. 1537), affirming the unlawfulness of denying access to emissions data;
4. European Court of Human Rights (Section II, 28 October 2025, Application No. 34068/2021), which ruled out a violation by Norway of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Finally, among updates in administrative practice, reference is made to the reply of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) to a request for interpretation concerning atmospheric emissions from IPPC installations (Prot. No. 203133 of 30 October 2025).

For further insights, explore the newsletter prepared by our professionals Simone Cadeddu, Francesca Lalli, Jacopo Nardelli, Camilla Triboldi, and Giulia Serio at the following link.