"The law gives priority to national defense and security needs over environmental provisions adopted by local authorities . These latter provisions apply, in fact, as long as they do not hinder or compromise military objectives deemed to be priority." While this was clear from the filing of the accompanying report, the words of the person who authored the law, Paola Maria Chiesa of the Brothers of Italy party, reported in the minutes of the Chamber of Deputies' Defense Committee, dispel any doubts about the true purpose of the proposed law on military firing ranges.
The bill, which amends the Military Code to impose "exclusive state jurisdiction over functions and activities related to defense and national security," began its progress here last week. It also contains "a compatibility clause for the application of environmental provisions adopted by local authorities to military areas."
A hot topic in Sardinia, where residents deal with vast training areas where shootings are conducted nine months a year.
The bill had been stalled since the first half of 2024. On November 19, it was revived and placed on the agenda, sparking reactions on the island.
The MP, the first signatory, explains that "in an international context marked by rapidly evolving threats and technologies transforming military operations, it becomes necessary to reconsider the organization of the administrative-military apparatus responsible for national security." She then emphasizes that "speed, flexibility, and innovation require a clear strengthening of state exclusivity in defense management, from organization to training and the deployment of units."
Thus, in the name of security, the (legal) maneuver is being implemented: it is proposed "to establish that regional environmental regulations apply to military areas," and therefore to firing ranges, "only in a manner compatible with defense needs, in order to prevent disputes and ensure the full operational readiness of the military." Furthermore, it also provides for "the assimilation of permanent training sites and areas to abandoned industrial sites, pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 152 of 2006, further strengthening the regulatory framework protecting state jurisdiction." In other words, the levels of contamination from harmful substances—in other words, pollution—have increased.
Regional interference, the FdI representative argues, "must be excluded." Therefore, Sardinia, even though it is its own territory, must submit to national needs, which are defined as priorities. And if it wishes to legislate, it cannot do so "without the prior consent of the Defense General Staff."