There are 138 offshore platforms in Italian seas; of these, 42—mainly located in the central and northern Adriatic Sea and dedicated to natural gas extraction—are subject to an environmental monitoring plan. Among the monitored chemical substances are barium and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Barium is a metal used in the production of drilling fluids and may be present in the produced water periodically discharged into the sea from platforms. PAHs are chemical compounds whose presence in the marine environment is due to both natural factors and anthropogenic activities.

The concentration of barium and total PAHs in sediments surrounding the platforms represents an environmental indicator of the pressure from offshore natural gas field exploitation.
Data available for the period 2008–2023 show a gradual decrease over time in the average concentrations of these contaminants, with the highest values generally found in proximity to the platforms.

Barium concentrations exceeded the baseline reference value in the majority of sediment samples analyzed between 2008 and 2014. However, from 2015 to 2023, the percentage of exceedances fell below 50%.
The percentage of sediment samples with total PAH concentrations above the threshold value—an indicator of probable toxic effects on marine organisms—decreased throughout the period, with the highest levels observed between 2009 and 2017 and around 3–6% from 2018 to 2023. Only in 2018 were PAH concentrations above the toxic threshold found in sediments located 500 meters from a platform.

The indicator represents the number of director’s determinations for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening issued annually by MASE under state jurisdiction, providing insight into the central public administration’s response regarding environmental assessment decision-making processes.
From 2004 to 2023, there were 626 determinations of non-subjection to EIA and 148 determinations requiring EIA.
The screening procedure concluded with a determination of non-subjection in 79% of cases.

“Produced water” or “formation water” is one of the main wastewater streams associated with the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs in offshore marine environments and has the potential to cause disruptive effects on ecosystems.
The discharge of such wastewater into the sea requires an authorization, which is conditional upon the evaluation of the results of annual environmental monitoring conducted around the platform.

The number of platforms subject to environmental assessment of monitoring outcomes fluctuated between 2016 and 2020, remained stable until 2022, and has decreased over the past two years.
This trend is largely linked to variations in the number of discharge authorization applications submitted.
The number of platforms authorized each year decreased from 2017 to 2021, increased again in 2022, and decreased in 2024. A similar trend is observed for the annual volume of produced water authorized for discharge into the sea.

Environmental conditions are requirements that may be imposed by the EIA screening determination, relating either to the characteristics of the project or to the mitigation and prevention measures aimed at avoiding significant and adverse environmental impacts. Over the period 2004–2023, an average of 6 environmental conditions per determination was recorded. Among these, those for which compliance verification was entrusted to the National Environmental Protection System (SNPA) accounted for approximately 32.6% of the cases.

The indicator measures the capacity to minimize the environmental impact of a project subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decision by imposing binding and mandatory environmental conditions during both the implementation and operation phases of the project. The indicator highlights the annual trend in both the total number and the average number (per decision) of environmental conditions contained in EIA decisions.
To determine this indicator, all environmental conditions issued by MASE, MiC, Regions and Local Authorities included in EIA decisions were analyzed, identifying those whose compliance verification is entrusted to the National Environmental Protection System (SNPA). Between June 1989 and 2023, an average of 30 environmental conditions per decision was recorded, with a minimum of 6 in 1989 and a maximum of 72 in 2006.

The national legislation on environmental damage, regulated under Part Six of Legislative Decree No. 152/2006 (transposing Directive 2004/35/EC on environmental liability), designates the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) as the sole competent authority for the prevention and remediation of environmental damage. The Ministry acts through both judicial and administrative procedures, with the support of the National System for the Protection of the Environment (SNPA), which provides the necessary technical assistance.

In 2023, out of 552 criminal proceedings reported, the Ministry requested SNPA’s assistance in 53 cases to assess the existence of environmental damage. SNPA concluded 61 technical-scientific assessments to support ministerial decisions, including those initiated in 2022. The Ministry acted as civil party in 2 cases, based on SNPA’s technical reports.

The indicator shows the yearly trend in the number of projects under state jurisdiction subject to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the annual distribution of the outcomes of environmental compatibility decisions, and their breakdown by type of infrastructure. It reflects the central public administration's response regarding decision-making processes related to environmental impact assessments.

In 2023, out of 141 projects evaluated, 122 positive EIA decisions with environmental conditions and 19 negative ones were issued.