The Sardinia TAR was once again called to express its opinion on the military exercises in the Capo Teulada and Capo Frasca ranges .
The Grig has filed with the lawyer Carlo Augusto Melis Costa a new appeal against the ministry's decree which formalizes the cycle of exercises in the two ranges in the first half of 2024.
The environmental association asked in particular for the declaration of illegitimacy of the exercises in the absence of an environmental impact assessment (Vinca) and above all the condemnation of the Sardinia Region and the Ministry of Defense to carry out the environmental assessment procedure which is "still absent" .
In November, the TAR rejected a similar appeal against the exercise cycle for the second half of 2023, not granting the stop but setting the hearing on the merits for 7 February. While waiting for that hearing, the new appeal arrived.
In rejecting the Grig's request, the administrative judges considered " the predominant need of the Armed Forces to complete the exercises currently underway (scheduled until 21 December 2023)". And they recalled that Ispra «while highlighting environmental critical profiles, does not highlight, to date, a situation in which it is possible to identify impacts on natural resources such as to integrate cases of environmental damage».
The environmentalists now return to the charge, recalling that " the Vinca procedure on military activities has never been carried out , a fact which is not questioned anywhere". And that "military training activities, like any activity that could cause damage to protected sites, must be subjected to the evaluation procedure to minimize their impacts and introduce environmental compensation measures". Procedures, Grig underlines, which in other polygons are "regularly carried out" .
