Cordella et al v Italy and the effectiveness of human rights law remedies in cases of environmental pollution

This case note focuses on the ongoing monitoring of the execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 24 January 2019 in Cordella et al v Italy , in which the Court found Italy responsible for the violation of the right to private and family life of the applicants due to its failure to adopt the necessary measures for preventing and prohibiting the environmental pollution caused by the ex ‐Ilva steelworks. After highlighting the shortcomings of the judgment, in particular the decision not to adopt the pilot judgment procedure, the note shows how these weaknesses have impacted the execution of the Court’s decision, which, after more than a year, is at a standstill.