Italian court orders closure of steel furnaces in Taranto
The ruling puts the future of Italy’s largest steel complex and thousands of jobs under further pressure.
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Italy’s Supreme Court confirmed on Thursday that the blast furnaces at the former Ilva steel complex in Taranto must close. The ruling concerns the closure of the plant’s hot section.
Italy’s Corte di Cassazione rejected the appeals by Acciaierie d’Italia and the administrators of the former Ilva. An earlier decision by a court in Milan therefore remains in force: the so-called hot section of the complex must be shut down.
The ruling concerns the blast furnaces and other installations where steel is produced at high temperatures. According to Reuters, the production of pig iron must end. It is not yet clear exactly how and when the installations will be shut down.
The case centres on the balance between industrial production and the health of local residents. The court’s decision is based on concerns about emissions and other risks on the factory site. The plant is on the outskirts of Taranto, in the southern Italian region of Apulia, where residents and campaign groups have been calling for stronger protection for years.
According to Reuters, Acciaierie d’Italia is Italy’s only integrated steelworks and directly employs around 8,000 people. The plant was once one of Europe’s largest steel complexes. A definitive closure of the blast furnaces would therefore affect not only employees and suppliers, but also Italian steel production.
For the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the ruling raises the question of what future the plant still has. Reuters reports that India’s Jindal Steel is among those to have expressed an interest. The ruling could make such a sale and the switch to another production method more complicated. Legally, it has not yet been established that the entire complex will disappear permanently, but closing the blast furnaces could have major consequences for the existing production chain.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Italy’s Court of Cassation rejected the appeals by Acciaierie d’Italia and the administrators of the former Ilva.
- The earlier court decision requires the blast furnaces and the hot production section to be shut down.
- The plant has thousands of direct employees and is located in Taranto, where concerns about health and emissions have existed for years.
Left
Arguments The ruling confirms that public health and the protection of local residents must outweigh keeping a polluting factory open. The state should protect workers with income support and invest in clean production.
Values Health, environmental justice, and the protection of workers and local residents.
Consequences A closure could cost jobs in the short term, but under this approach it prevents economic interests from continuing to justify health risks.
Centre
Arguments The court decision must be implemented, but the government must also ensure an orderly transition to cleaner steel production. A sale or restructuring can proceed only under clear environmental requirements and with financial guarantees.
Values The rule of law, feasibility, industrial continuity, and a gradual transition.
Consequences The transition may be costly and lengthy, but a controlled process limits the damage to workers, suppliers, and the regional economy.
Right
Arguments Italy needs strategic steel production and must prevent jobs and industrial expertise from disappearing because of court decisions without a viable alternative. The government should invest more quickly in modernisation and national control.
Values Economic self-reliance, employment, national industry, and administrative effectiveness.
Consequences A rapid closure could weaken the Italian economy and European steel supply; under this view, stricter environmental measures should go hand in hand with maintaining production.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central claim is confirmed by Reuters and ANSA, both of which describe the ruling of 29 October. The consequences for a sale, jobs and definitive closure are expressed as risks or uncertainties.
- confirmed Italy’s Supreme Court rejected the appeals against the shutdown of the hot section of the former Ilva complex. — Reuters and ANSA reported this on 29 October 2026. source
- confirmed The plant has around 8,000 direct employees. — Reuters cites around 8,000 direct employees. source
- confirmed A definitive closure of the entire complex has not yet been established legally. — The sources describe the ruling as an order to close the blast furnaces and the hot section, not as a separate order to close all operations. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Italy’s Court of Cassation rejected the appeals and that the earlier shutdown decision therefore remains in force. It is uncertain how quickly the technical shutdown will proceed and whether the entire complex will ultimately close permanently.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „italië taranto”
- Trouw — „italië taranto”
- RTL Nieuws — „italië taranto”