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The Seveso Directive and Emerging Risks from the Energy Transition

The Seveso Directive and Emerging Risks from the Energy Transition

Ten Years After National Implementation, the Advanced Training Course on Safety in Industrial Plants is Launched

Skills and operational tools to correctly apply the Seveso III Directive—implemented in Italy through Legislative Decree No. 105/2015—and to carry out verification and control activities in industrial facilities, in relation to the risk analysis of key industrial processes and in light of new technologies introduced by the energy transition.

These are the objectives of the Advanced Training Course on “Safety in Industrial Plants: the Seveso Directive and Emerging Risks from the Energy Transition”, designed, organized, and delivered in collaboration between ISPRA and UCBM Academy, inaugurated today at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.

The training program reflects the focus on the technical and scientific preparation essential for the prevention of industrial risks and is an integral part of the educational offer of ISPRA’s School of Specialization in Environmental Disciplines, inaugurated last year.

UCBM Academy promotes post-graduate education at Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, developing university master’s programs, advanced courses, executive programs, and tailor-made training paths for companies and institutions. The collaboration with ISPRA is part of joint initiatives aimed at developing advanced technical skills in highly complex sectors.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the national implementation of the Seveso III Directive, which replaced the previous Seveso II Directive, coinciding with the full entry into force of the new European Regulation on the Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) of substances. Key updates introduced by Seveso III include alignment with the CLP Regulation, simplification and reduction of administrative burdens, and improved clarity.

ISPRA has extensive and well-established experience, together with the other agencies within the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), in conducting and managing both routine and incident-driven inspections and controls of Seveso establishments. These inspections aim to verify the adequacy of the operator’s Major Accident Prevention Policy and the implementation of the Safety Management System, through a planned examination of the systems in use at the facility, whether technical, organizational, or managerial in nature.

Some data on SNPA inspections concern, in addition to the specific topic of the advanced training course (Seveso), the directive on verifying compliance with the Integrated Environmental Authorization (AIA) decrees:

  • At the 14 Regional Environmental Protection Agencies and at ISPRA, the number of inspectors in the Regional and Provincial Agencies in 2023 was 2,170, and 29 at ISPRA. Annual reports received by the Agencies from individual private parties amounted to 2,430, while reports from public entities exceeded 1,200. The annual number of inspections carried out by SNPA was approximately 6,600 in the waste sector, more than 13,500 in the water sector, and about 3,800 for emissions. The total number of environmental violations identified during inspections (administrative and criminal) was around 6,300, with more than 3,400 administrative sanctions issued.
  • The management of the National Inventory, concerning establishments at risk of major accidents, reports that as of 20 November 2025, notifications amounted to 736, and requests to the Seveso Notification Portal Help Desk were just under 1,900, an increase compared to the previous year (around 1,500).
  • As of 27 November 2025, inspections of major-accident risk (Seveso) establishments specifically requested from ISPRA were 21, with 15 carried out, resulting in a completion rate of approximately 71% (inspections conducted versus requests), consistent with data from previous years. These figures should be considered in addition to the inspections carried out by the Regional and Provincial Agencies within SNPA, bringing the total annual inspections of national establishments to around 300.
  • As of 27 November 2025, environmental inspections for the supervision and control of state-competent AIA plants that were requested or scheduled amounted to 70 (compared to 61 in the previous year), while inspections carried out, including extraordinary inspections, were 65 (61 in 2024). The ratio of inspections performed to scheduled requests stands at 93%.
  • Regarding AIA inspections at strategically important national plants, these occur more frequently than inspections at other industrial plants. For instance, at the former ILVA plant in Taranto, four routine inspections per year are scheduled on a quarterly basis, while at ISAB S.r.l., two routine inspections per year are planned. As of 27 November 2025, the annual inspections carried out or planned at strategically important national plants reached 83%

ISPRA’s technical-scientific contribution to the training program is framed within its role as the National Technical Body for the implementation of the Seveso Directive. The Institute is responsible for defining the technical content of laws and decrees aimed at controlling the risk of major accidents. This task is carried out through ISPRA’s participation, as technical secretariat, in the activities of the Seveso Coordination Table, established at the Ministry of the Environment and composed of the Department of Civil Protection, the Ministries of the Interior, Infrastructure and Transport, Economic Development, and Health, the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, and the Association of Municipalities, as well as representatives of the National Fire Corps, the National Institute for Occupational Safety, the National Institute of Health, and SNPA