Social and institutional resistance

Lorenzo Russo, 24 novembre 2025

Over the decades, beginning in the 1980s, the state has responded to the environmental and criminal crisis in Campania with numerous laws and preventive measures. Already in 1994, by decree of the President of the Council of Ministers, the state of emergency was declared in the Campania Region for the management of illegal waste disposal, Recognizing for the first time the urgency of extraordinary interventions in those provinces affected by mafia associations and the seriousness of the environmental situation. Since then, for more than fifteen years, Campania has remained in emergency regime, with the appointment of extraordinary committees and commissioners and direct state management of the waste cycle. (D.P.C.M. 11 February 1994, G.U. n. 40/1994).  

Decree-law n.136/2013 and Law n.6/2014  

A decisive step was taken with the Decree-Law of 10 December 2013, n.136, then converted into the law of 6 February 2014, n..6, entitled ''urgent provisions aimed at coping with environmental and industrial emergencies and to promote the development of the areas concerned'. This measure, adopted as a response to the crisis in the land of fires, aimed to intervene with provisions aimed at overcoming the environmental criticalities of the Campania region due to illegal waste disposal and, above all, 'the prevailing profiles of environmental and health protection and safeguarding employment levels.'  (G.U. no. 32 8 February 2014)  

The decree-law 8 August 2025 n.116  

This decree, is the demonstration of continuous state interventions, containing '' urgent provisions to combat illegal activities in waste, for the remediation of the area called fire land, as well as assistance to the population affected by disasters. The decree was issued following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of 30 January 2025, which condemned Italy for failing to protect and protect the right to life of 2.9 million citizens exposed to toxic waste contamination, implementing measures to prevent and combat illegal activities in the areas of waste, remediation and assistance to the population. The main innovations include: 3 to 8 years' imprisonment for environmental pollution linked to criminal organizations; 6 to 20 years for environmental disaster; Fines ranging from €200,000 to €1.5 million for companies involved in illegal disposal; compulsory confiscation of property and equipment used for criminal purposes; Additional funds for waste removal and remediation activities.   (D.L. 8 August 2025; criminal law, September 2025)  

The role of civil society  

Alongside the institutional measures, civil society in Campania has developed an extraordinary response. The emergence of associations, committees and movements anti-environmental mafia have chosen to react to the devastation of the territory. Organizations such as Libera, Legambiente, the Don Peppe Diana Committee have promoted and given voice to citizens, with an environmental education campaign in schools, awareness initiatives and public complaint, civic monitoring projects on contaminated areas. These movements today represent a collective resistance, despite the fear of countering these associations that have defaced the territory and stolen so much from the local population, unites citizens, students and local institutions in the defense of legality, the health and dignity of the territory. The state responses had the merit of recognizing the urgency of the problem and building a stronger legislative basis against these environmental crimes, however, the rebirth of the Campania territory owes its merits also to civic participation, The memory of the victims who have opposed these businesses and who were subjected to toxic substances. Through cooperation between the state and society it will be possible, day by day, step by step, to achieve social and environmental justice.