Mr Romano Ruggeri is an environmental engineer with a PhD in Geoengineering. He works as Environmental Manager in the Sardinian Regional Environmental Protection Agency (Italy), covering topics related to environmental inspections and permitting. He is also a Project Leader at the EU network for the implementation and enforcement of environmental law (IMPEL), working on projects in the fields of Industrial Emissions Directive implementation, Waste Management, and Circular Economy.
IED Sebia: Mr Ruggeri, can you tell us more about your professional background, with over fifteen years of experience working as a technical officer and environmental manager at the Sardinian EPA, and your work as an independent environmental expert and consultant in the fields of waste management and circular economy?
Mr Romano Ruggeri: I started my career at the Sardinian EPA with an initial task within the framework of the agreement established with the competent authorities for the drafting of the first IPPC authorisations. During my career, I have consolidated my experience in industrial activities through various roles in the context of IPPC inspections and assessment procedures. I have experienced the growth phase of the agency, during which it had to organise itself to develop procedures, strategies, and competencies to address the phases of compliance assurance for IPPC activities.
At the same time, I worked as an IPPC permit writer at a national level with the national Italian agency (ISPRA). Additionally, for more than 10 years, I have actively participated in the activities of the IMPEL network as a project leader and coordinator of projects in the IPPC and circular economy fields.
Within these projects, guidelines for practitioners have been produced (e.g., those on circular economy, inspections at industrial wastewater treatment plants, monitoring in IPPC installations, landfill inspections, REACH & circular economy, etc.) and site visits at waste management and IED installations have been performed across different Member States.
IED Serbia: You are engaged as an expert on the project “Green Transition – Implementing Industrial Emissions Directive in Serbia 2021-2027,” primarily involved in transferring knowledge to your Serbian colleagues through practical training in the field of IED enforcement. What are your impressions from the field, and can you share some key takeaways from your recent mission in Serbia?
Mr Romano Ruggeri: While the implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) requires a primary need for technical specialisation to carry out integrated inspections on various aspects of environmental impacts, it is important to acknowledge the significant efforts and progress made so far. Despite the challenges such as personnel shortages and the technical gap between inspectors and operators, there has been a continuous effort to improving the system.
Many inspectors have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving their skills through training programs designed to bridge the technical gap and ensure they can perform their duties effectively. Additionally, efforts are being made to balance the quantity and quality of control activities, with an increasing emphasis on professional training and development.
The ongoing collaboration between authorities and operators also highlights a positive trend towards achieving the objectives of the IED. The IED Serbia project has been particularly beneficial in this regard, facilitating meetings among operators, inspectors, and permit writers. This has fostered better communication and understanding, enhancing environmental protection efforts and adherence to the Directive. By addressing these challenges with a proactive approach, the transition can be further facilitated, leading to more effective environmental protection and compliance with the Directive.
IED Serbia: As a Project Leader at the EU network for the implementation and enforcement of environmental law (IMPEL), can you explain what IMPEL is and share some insights on the key initiatives and projects currently being undertaken to enhance environmental compliance and enforcement across member states?
Mr Romano Ruggeri: The European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) is an international non-profit association of the environmental authorities of the European Union Member States, acceding and candidate countries of the EU, EEA and EFTA countries and potential candidates to join the European Community. IMPEL has 59 members from 38 countries including Serbia.
The aim of IMPEL is to contribute to a better implementation of environmental law in Europe, increasing capacity building (including training), sharing know-how and best practices, developing innovative tools, guidance, and manuals while supporting peer-to-peer development.
IMPEL provides its member authorities with the opportunity to access a pool of practitioner expertise who carry out practical implementation and enforcement on a day-to-day basis. It works with projects that run under the framework of 5 Expert Teams, namely: Water and Land, Cross-cutting Tools and Approaches, Nature Protection, Waste and TFS, Industry and Air.