Lake Garda "legal entity": draft law in the Senate

28 January 2026

 

"I have presented a bill in the Senate with great conviction to recognize Lake Garda as a legal entity. It is a proposal I strongly believe in, born from the awareness that the lake today needs new and concrete environmental protection tools."

This is stated in a note by Aurora Floridia, the Green senator from South Tyrol.
 

"In many parts of the world – from Spain to Latin America to New Zealand – places of extraordinary natural value have already been recognized as legal entities, precisely to protect them effectively from degradation, exploitation, and short-sighted interests. It is time for Italy to take a leading role.
 

This recognition would represent an extraordinary step, opening a completely new phase for the Italian legal system, introducing an institution that has so far been absent in our legal framework, fully consistent with European regulations and the recent constitutional reform on the protection of the environment, biodiversity, and ecosystems. These principles now need to be translated into concrete actions.
 

Lake Garda is under threat
 

"The Lake Garda – continues Senator Floridia – is currently under pressure. Climate change and overtourism are severely testing its balance, a situation further exacerbated by uncontrolled construction and growing pollution.

The consequences are visible to all: the deterioration of water quality, the loss of natural habitats and ecological balance, and the compromise of its landscape and tourism sustainability, which could jeopardize the important local tourism economy in the long run.

Recognizing Lake Garda as a legal entity means granting it its own rights: the right to protect its integrity, to maintain its natural balance, and the possibility of legal representation. It is an essential paradigm shift to address challenges that can no longer be ignored and to transform the protection of Lake Garda into a lasting heritage for present and future generations."

Read the article: here