en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) recently ruled through an interpretation request dated May 21, 2026, confirming that the minimum environmental criteria (CAM) stipulated in the Ministerial Decree of August 5, 2024 (i.e., the CAM Road Standards) must be fully applied to road surface restoration works following the laying or maintenance of water supply networks, and prohibiting road management entities from generally refusing the use of certified recycled aggregates. This ruling resolves disputes over environmental obligations at infrastructure sites, clarifying that the primary nature of the works does not justify excluding pavement-related environmental obligations.
The ruling stems from a question raised by a regional administrative body pursuant to Article 3-septies of Legislative Decree No. 152/2006. The body noted that in integrated water service sites, a large amount of excavated material could have been reused as excavated earth and rock or recycled aggregates within the framework of the circular economy. However, many road management entities, when issuing excavation permits, insisted on mandating the exclusive use of virgin quarry materials. This a priori exclusion of technically certified and UNI-compliant recycled materials hindered resource recycling and undermined the sustainability goals set by the CAM Road Standards.
In its interpretation, MASE clarified that, under Article 57 of Legislative Decree No. 36/2023, the mandatory application of CAM does not depend on the primary nature of the works, but on whether the works directly involve the road pavement and require subsequent restoration. Therefore, even if the primary works are underground water facilities, the provisions of the CAM Road Standards become an integral part of the project and execution activities, directly affecting the conditions for issuing construction permits and excavation licenses.
The core of the ruling lies in its support for the circular economy. MASE reaffirmed that CAM is a mandatory obligation, prioritizing the use of recycled or excavated materials that meet performance requirements in backfilling and filling. Road management entities are not entitled to impose general or a priori bans on certified recycled aggregates solely due to the non-original source of the materials. Any restrictions must be clearly justified based on specific technical needs and must not translate into systemic barriers contrary to the sustainability principles of the Public Contracts Code and the Consolidated Environmental Law.
This ruling will change the operational practices of road management entities, water management companies, and contracting stations, accelerating the integration of the circular economy into public works. In future road restoration works after excavation, automatic requirements for quarry materials will no longer be supported without documented technical reasons, and the provisions of excavation permits must align with the current environmental regulatory framework.
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