Safety compliance of railings installed along Reno Canal walkway

Question for written answer E-004734/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Stefano Cavedagna (ECR)

As part of a project financed with national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) resources, new continuous horizontal metal bar railings were recently installed along the walkway on the Reno Canal in the city of Bologna.

This configuration is at odds with technical standard UNI 10809 because it is easily scalable and therefore potentially dangerous, particularly close to a water edge.

What is more, under Ministerial Decree 236/1989, public structures must provide safety, accessibility and protection against accidental falls.

According to the approved project plans, the works were also supposed to include the installation of transparent, non-scalable railings that would have been more compliant with safety standards. However, as it stands, only the metal railings have been installed, potentially out of line with the plans and the applicable technical standards.

The NRRP is for projects financed within the framework of the NextGenerationEU programme, which imposes specific obligations in the areas of compliance, transparency and quality of investments made, including with regard to the safety of the infrastructure financed.

In the light of the above:

• 1.Is the Commission aware of the possible discrepancy between the project plans and their implementation, and of the potential breach of technical safety standards?
• 2.Have provisions been made for compliance and security checks for projects financed under the NRRP?
• 3.What measures will it take to ensure that EU funds are used properly in infrastructure projects that involve risks to public security?

Submitted: 28.11.2025