Free Trieste

TRACKS OF LEGALITY

How Italian corruptions and mafias pollute the Free Territory of Trieste

Investigative book by Roberto Giurastante

“Tracks of Legality” is about the author’s investigations about Trieste’s pollution, as well as describing the system of Government that is responsible for it.

Taking advantage of the tensions of the Cold War, a Mafia-like corrupt system prospered in Trieste. Consolidating its authority, this system obtained abnormal immunities, including, in the name of the Italian nationalism of the border areas, the protection of the authorities. Because, since 1947, Trieste is the capital city of a little European sovereign State with the only international Free Port in the world.

It is the Free Territory of Trieste, under the UN’s own protection. However, since 1954, its temporary civil administration is sub-entrusted to the Italian Government. The local “system” simulates that Trieste is part of the Italian State, and uses this façade to parasitize, unpunished, the Free Territory’s economic and environmental resources.

However, Giurastante was able to fight this “system” back: he lodged complaints to the European Union, which in turn opened infringement proceedings against Italy for multiple failures to comply with the Community Law.

The most prominent failures regard the disposal of waste, sewage treatment, the lack of prevention in case of radiologic accidents (Krško nuclear power plant), air quality (Transboundary Air Pollution), and the failure to comply with the Seveso Directive (security in industrial plants at risk).

In 2009, thanks to Roberto Giurastante’s complaints, the external emergency plan of the nuclear port of Trieste was finally declassified and released to the public.

About the Italian edition: LINK