This mechanism has been misused. Porsche's Nardo Technical Centre (NTC) in southern Italy shows how “public interest” can be stretched to fit the project’s goals.
On the western coast of Italy's heel, the NTC encircles the Bosco d'Arneo, a protected Natura 2000 area, the biggest network of protected natural areas in the world. The Bosco d'Arneo is one of the last remaining forests in a region most affected by desertification in the Mediterranean.
In 2022, as Porsche presented its plan to expand its tracks, the forest became a substantial obstacle. The original project, estimated at 450 million euros, involved cutting about 200 hectares of wood.
Citing the sanitary station and heliport as beneficial measures for public health and fire protection, Italian authorities declared the extension project a matter of public interest.
But here comes the problem: “The station is, in fact, a side element of the project and not the project itself; there is no reason to approve the project on these grounds,” Margherita Pieraccini, professor in environmental law at the University of Bristol, told us.
According to the construction plan obtained by The European Correspondent, it would have only accounted for about 0.2% of the wood-clearing surface.
After being informed by the Puglia region, the European Commission also viewed the move critically and advised changing the IROPI from health to economic benefits.
What counts as “public interest”?
Valid grounds for public interest include human health, natural benefits, and social benefits through economic growth. For the latter, the European Commission must weigh in.
Instead of expanding protected areas, lawmakers have embedded “public interest” rules into European and national legislation to speed up approvals, replacing case-by-case environmental assessments of projects.
Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union declared renewable energy as an “overriding public interest.” Similarly, Germany recently classified hydrogen production this way. France granted open-air water reserves for agricultural purposes the same status.
This simplification poses a threat to Natura 2000 areas in Europe and could significantly impact environmental law, according to Dutch legal expert Alessio Devis. The overriding public interest serves as a default prerequisite for further decisions, ignoring complex environments and undermining conservation measures.
Natura 2000 areas are under other pressures too. A recent study found that in Germany, one of the EU's largest Natura 2000 countries, nearly half of the areas studied aren't sufficiently protected.
Dead-end for Porsche
On paper, the company would have ten years to complete the runway. For Enzo De Bonis, a local resident who has fought to protect the Bosco d’Arneo, “the region’s confusion leaves the door open to a possible return.”
In the meantime, “nothing has been done to improve our healthcare infrastructure”, explains Duilio Romanello, an activist with the Custodi del Bosco d'Arneo, a citizens' committee that opposed the expansion of the test track from the very beginning. “Nothing has been done for us.” The Custodi continues to keep an eye on the forest, in case Porsche’s would like to try its luck once again.
This article was supported by Journalismfund.