A CITIZEN OF THE FREE TERRITORY OF TRIESTE.
Article published on August 12th, 2011.
On July 28th, 2011 the European Commission confirmed the opening of a new investigation. This decision follos my July 11th, 2011 comprehensive complaint CHAP(2011)02184.
A complaint I, Roberto Giurastante, lodged in my capacity of citizen of the Free Territory of Trieste.
The Free Territory of Trieste is a State established on September 15th 1947, at the coming into force of the Italian Peace Treaty. Since 1954, Trieste’s temporary civil administration is sub-entrusted to the Italian Government by the Governments of the United States and of the United Kingdom. They are the Free Territory’s primary administering Governments on behalf of the UN Security Council.
Complaint CHAP(2011)02184 is about three fundamental topics: environmental pollution in Trieste, the suspension of the international Free Port‘s free zone regime in the Northern sector, and human rights in the Free Territory.
WHY I LODGED THIS COMPLAINT:
Since 1997, as a representative of Non-Government Organizations (currently Alpe Adria Green and Greenaction Transnational) I am investigating pollution in this unique European area.
I did also investigate the misuse of EU funding, especially in projects “for touristic development”, and the tendering of public works. Especially those revolving on getting the Triestine coast coated in concrete. One of my goals was to engage my fellow citizens and get them to actively protect our environment.
Currently I am opposing LNG terminals in the gulf of Trieste and defending the city’s Northern Free Port from a huge building speculation. Local politicians go as far as calling it “porto vecchio” as in “old port” because, unsurprisingly, to them old = useless. Except when it comes to using the area for illegal building speculations, that’s it.
Update: in 2018 the stand against the LNG terminal ended as Gas Natural cancelled the project!
Local Courts have often opened proceedings related to my investigations, ultimately revealing a local “establishment” built on the systematic breach of Italian and European laws. Yet, in the end, I had to face the harsh truth: the local system of corruption has some friends in the judiciary as well.
Friends willing to dismiss my cases, often without investigations. On the contrary, when the authorities denounced me for opposing an illegal building, my civil rights were handled rather poorly.
WHAT I REPORTED SO FAR TO EU AUTHORITIES:
Since locally there was no way out, I decided to seek justice before European authorities.
I denounced the environmental disaster in Trieste and in its province, as well as the repressive actions of the Italian judiciary I suffered in retaliation for denouncing to public opinion decades of dramatic pollution, the related interests of the State, and also for opposing the aforementioned local establishment in the name of common good.
It is the same establishment that, since 1954, engaged in corruption, in polluting this land, and in all sort of illegal traffics. A situation detailed in Greenaction’s dossier “D for dumping grounds”.
This environmental disaster does also affect Trieste’s international Free Port, because one of the local establishment’s goals is deactivating it for the sake of Italian Ports.
Once Austria-Hungary’s main port, Trieste’s precious free zone are now barren, despite a legal status worth massive trade and traffics. A perfect location for a dangerous, polluting oil terminal.
This bad administration extends to Trieste’s Free Port. Once Austria’s main port, now a second-rate port. The Northern Free Port is “suspended” because the establishment values a EUR 2 billion housing speculation more than jobs, trades, and actual economic development. On the other side, the Southern Free Port is in danger because of the proposed LNG terminals, which are themselves dangerous and highly pollutant.
THE QUESTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FREE PORT.
Since 1954, just like the city and its territory, its Free Port became a crossing point for hazardous waste. A lawless crosspoint for the most dangerous trades, including some labeled as Secret of State. This defenseless land’s annihilation came with coastal and marine landfills.
Destroying the Northern Free Port is the final act. Houses, Hotels, recreational yacht basins, stores, casinos. A 2 billion speculation. A new Balkan Monte Carlo. This is the local establishment’s plan for Trieste’s future. Turning Trieste in the city-port of the Italian organized crime.
The first step was suspending the Northern Free Port’s free zone regime. However, that constitutes a violation of the 1947 Peace Treaty. And the violation is now before the European Authorities.
This long tradition of unlawfulness caused damages and losses to this small territory. Approximately EUR 100 billion, ranging from environmental pollution to the downgrading of Trieste’s international Free Port and the loss of revenues following the loss of trade and traffics.
All that I reported is happening in the Free Territory of Trieste, a recognized State under the 1947 Italian Peace Treaty. This is why I brought forward my legal actions as a European and as a Triestine.
I want to protect the environment and my people. Italy is endangering them despite being a EU Member States, despite its Government being sub-entrusted with Trieste’s temporary civil administration. An administration that should take special care of Trieste’s international Free Port.
MY REQUESTS TO THE EU AUTHORITIES:
That the European Commission, as guarantor of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and of other International Treaties, ensures that Italy complies with International and European Law also in the Free State of Trieste;
As a European and Triestine citizen, I requested compliance with my fundamental rights, because so far the Italian judiciary failed to do so. I appeal to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the EU fully embraces;
That the European Commission informs the UN about the Italian authority’s unilateral suspension of Trieste’s free port regime, and of the decision, in breach of the 1947 Italian Peace Treaty, to use the port’s Northern Sector for activities that are far outside its intended scope.
Translated from blog “Environment and Legality” by Roberto Giurastante