The indicator represents the number of Integrated Environmental Authorisation (IEA or AIA) decisions issued for active installations under national competence (comprehensive review pursuant to Article 29-octies of Legislative Decree 152/06) by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), in relation to the total number of procedures initiated for the issuance of AIA decisions. Since 2016, the process of issuing state-level AIA decisions has been aligned with the implementation of the following European Commission Implementing Decisions:

2014/738/EU (9 October 2014 – BAT Conclusions for the Refining of Mineral Oil and Gas),

2017/1442/EU (31 July 2017 – BAT Conclusions for Large Combustion Plants),

2017/2117/EU (21 November 2017 – BAT Conclusions for Waste Treatment).

An analysis of the trend over the period 2016–2023 shows a continuous increase in the percentage of AIA decisions issued by MASE relative to the number of procedures initiated, reaching 93% in 2023, thus approaching the target of full completion (100%). ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) is tasked with providing technical and scientific support to the AIA-IPPC Commission for the issuance, amendment, and review of AIA procedures under national competence. This includes proposing the Monitoring and Control Plan (PMC) during the Services Conference, in accordance with Article 29-quater(6) of Legislative Decree 152/06. In 2023, in support of the AIA-IPPC Commission’s work for the 98 procedures initiated by MASE, ISPRA prepared and submitted to MASE:

133 Technical Reports assessing the completeness of AIA applications and contributing to the drafting of the Final Evaluation Opinions (PIC) issued by the AIA-IPPC Commission;

5 Validation Reports concerning the Baseline Reports (relating to soil and groundwater status);

7 Monitoring and Control Plans (PMC), integral parts of the AIA, outlining monitoring and compliance verification methods for plant emissions, as required by Article 29-sexies(6) of Legislative Decree 152/06.

Some of these documents also refer to procedures initiated by MASE in earlier years. In total, 92 AIA decisions were officially issued by MASE in 2023.

The information concerns the inspection and control activities carried out by ISPRA, in its capacity as the Control Authority, with the support of the territorially competent Regional Environmental Agencies (ARPA/APPA), at industrial installations subject to compliance with the state-level Integrated Environmental Authorisation (IEA). In 2023, the number of state-level installations under surveillance and subject to IEA was consistent with the data from 2022.

The positive trend observed between 2009 and 2014 experienced a slight reversal in 2015 due to factors unrelated to inspection activities, before stabilising between 2016 and 2017. It then increased again in 2018, recording the highest number of monitored installations, before declining between 2020 and 2023.