Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002709/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Giuseppe Milazzo (ECR)
The unchecked proliferation of wind and solar photovoltaic plants is radically altering the landscapes and economic fabric of the Belice area – a rural region in western Sicily that relies heavily on agriculture – while also harming its producers.
Meeting in Castelvetrano, local mayors criticised what they view as an energy transition model which has been imposed from on high and which benefits large industrial groups at the expense of the Belice area’s communities and identity.
While the number of requests to connect installations to the electricity grid is already four times higher than planned, the areas deemed unsuitable for renewable energy plants have yet to be mapped out, even though such a measure was provided for by the Legislative Decree (No 199/2021) that transposed Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (known as RED II). This state of affairs could also jeopardise the investments made to protect and develop rural areas under both the Common Agricultural Policy and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
In the light of the above:
- 1.Could the Commission clarify whether this state of affairs is in line with CAP and territorial cohesion objectives?
- 2.Is this state of affairs compatible with the principles of the EU Green Deal, and does it respect territorial specificities?
- 3.Which instruments will the Commission use to ensure that the environmental transition is not used as a pretext to cause further environmental and economic disruption in the EU’s rural and inland areas?
Submitted: 2.7.2025