Italy's 'Eco-Vandal' Bill Becomes Law with Fines Up to €60,000

On January 18, 2024, the Italian Chamber of Deputies approved the so-called 'eco-vandal' bill with 138 votes in favor, 92 against, and 10 abstentions, making it law. The legislation introduces severe administrative fines ranging from €10,000 to €60,000 for damaging, defacing, or rendering unusable cultural or landscape heritage. The fines are immediately enforceable by local prefects based on reports from public officials. Proceeds go to the Ministry of Culture for restoration. The law was strongly advocated by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, who called the activists 'eco-vandals' and emphasized that perpetrators must pay for full restoration. The bill originated in April 2023 after activists from Ultima Generazione targeted the Barcaccia fountain in Piazza di Spagna, Rome. Political reactions are divided: Fratelli d'Italia's Tommaso Foti praised the law, while opposition parties like the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party criticized the penalties as disproportionate. Separately, on March 18, 2024, a trial will begin in Milan for Ultima Generazione activists who threw paint on Maurizio Cattelan's 'L.O.V.E.' sculpture (the 'Dito') in Piazza Affari in January 2023. Criminal penalties of six months to five years imprisonment remain in place.