Italy’s highest court has confirmed that the City of Rome must compensate residents living near the busy Tangenziale Est motorway for years of excessive noise and air pollution. It was ruled that people in the area were exposed to traffic noise and fine particles well above legal limit, violating their right to live in a healthy environment.
The city now has to pay €10,000 to each resident involved in the case. But the ruling goes further: Rome is also required to install proper sound-proofing barriers and lower the speed limit to 30 km/h on the affected stretch of road. According to the court, these steps are necessary because existing measures were “not suitable” to protect residents.
The judgement, issued on 12 November 2025, sends a strong message that local authorities can be held directly responsible when pollution becomes unbearable and nothing is done to fix it. Environmental lawyers say the case could set an important precedent for similar situations across Italy.
You can read the full ruling (in Italian) here: https://www.osservatorioagromafie.it/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2025/11/cass-civ-29798-2025.pdf
