Italy Introduces Accelerated Oil and Gas Approval Mechanism, Local Delays Can Be Overridden by Commissioner

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Italian government has adopted Emergency Decree No. 157, establishing an accelerated approval mechanism for onshore oil and gas exploration, research, and extraction projects. The new rules apply to onshore oil and gas exploration, research, and extraction activities, including drilling, as well as the issuance, extension, or modification of exploration permits and extraction concessions. The decree was published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic on September 10 and entered into force on September 11.

Under Article 2 of the decree, after the relevant project application materials are submitted, if the region concerned fails to make a decision on the project agreement within 45 days, the Prime Minister of Italy, upon the proposal of the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, may require the region to complete the process within a maximum of 60 days. If the delay occurs in a project subject to the unified approval procedure, the additional processing period shall be a maximum of 30 days. During this period, the Prime Minister or the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security will communicate with the relevant region regarding the reasons for the delay and the project materials, but such communication shall not suspend the calculation of the time limit.

If the region still fails to make a decision after the additional period expires, and the relevant delay may affect national energy security, the continuity of energy supply, or the national economic unity, the Italian Council of Ministers may, after hearing the views of the relevant region, appoint a special commissioner. The commissioner may make a decision on the project agreement on behalf of the local government and complete the relevant procedures within the period prescribed by the government. The Council of Ministers may also appoint deputy commissioners to assist in implementation; local governments may also proactively request the central government to appoint a commissioner.

This institutional adjustment directly covers oil and gas well drilling, exploration rights, and extraction rights approvals, but does not mean that the government has already approved new specific oil and gas fields or drilling projects. After the decree was adopted, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the government plans to increase domestic oil and natural gas production and shorten the processing time for exploration and extraction permits. Italy currently produces approximately 29 million barrels of crude oil per year, mainly from the Basilicata region in the south, and approximately 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year.

Domestic oil and gas projects in Italy still need to separately complete specific exploration, drilling, environmental, and extraction approvals. In June 2026, Po Valley Operations submitted an environmental impact assessment application to the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security for the Selva Malvezzi natural gas development project, proposing to add 4 wells within the existing production license area in the Po Valley Basin. The project is still in the approval stage.