Environment and Circular Economy

The Italian government has identified the “green revolution and ecological transition” as the main mission of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and has allocated to that end around 70 billion euros. The first component of this revolution is that relating to the circular economy and sustainable agriculture, whose investments will be financed through the PNRR with the aim at improving waste management, strengthening infrastructures for selective waste collection and modernizing or developing new waste treatment plants.

In this field, BridgeLaw professionals can boast a recognized and proven experience, having played leading roles within public administrations that have led initiatives to protect the environment and the circular economy, having regularly provided legal assistance to companies participating in public tenders for works and services and having assisted companies operating in the field of environmental protection for the treatment of polluting materials, recycling of recoverable waste and disposal of non-recoverable waste.

Our professionals have also developed a deep knowledge of the issues related to the regulation and case law relating to remediation and reclamation of polluted sites (in particular those falling within the sites of national interest), as well as in relation to the assessment of liabilities for environmental remediation and related damages. We have authored scientific publications on waste management, ship recycling and European legislation on state aid in the environmental sector.

Our legal assistance extends to obtaining national and European low-interest financing (e.g., Invest EU program), to the benefit of companies operating in the circular economy sector and/or in the field of environmental clean-up of contaminated sites.

Our professionals assist Italian and foreign clients in contractual, regulatory and authorization matters, as well as in legal proceedings, pertaining, amongst others, to:

• tender procedures, works and supply contracts relating to infrastructures for the production of energy from waste treatment plants
• tender procedures, works and supply contracts relating to environmental remediation or clean-up of contaminated sites, including the assessment of any liability with regard to the obligation to restore and clean-up polluted sites
• sale or purchase of companies or businesses that operate waste treatment plants and operate in the circular economy sector, and related legal and regulatory due diligence
• assessment of investment projects/activities in the circular economy sector with respect to the new European legislation on sustainable finance
• resolution of disputes relating to the environmental sector and waste management plants, both in mediation and in litigation, before the administrative courts and also in national and international arbitration