‘Slapp addict’ Italian oil firm accused of trying to silence green activists | Environmental activism

WHen Antonio Tricarico was summoned to his local police station in October and said he was the subject of a defamation investigation, he was stressed but not shocked. Months earlier, Tricarico, director of the NGO of the Italian environment NGO, had filed a joint legal challenge against the largest oil company in the country, that he knew he had history of lawyers to tighten criticism.

The company had previously been limited to prosecution in civil defamation, especially against Répomodine, but in the case of Tricarico, it has initiated criminal procedures on the statements he had made during a television interview.

“There is an intimidation against myself, for sure, which is not pleasant and has a daily impact,” said Tricarico, who now envisages the energy and the resources that would be necessary if the case is judged. “But I think intimidation is wider.”

Environmental groups say that there is a campaign to stifle criticism, the company having filed at least six defamation proceedings against journalists and NGOs since January 2019.

The listed company, which is under de facto control of the Italian Ministry of the Economy, is among the world’s largest historic polluters in terms of heating gas on the planet. It plans to increase its underlying production by 3 to 4% per year during the decade, even as a route to prevent the planet from heating the call for a rapid drop in the use of fossil fuels.

The court documents show that in the initiation of legal proceedings against criticism, including the Italian public broadcaster Rai, Greenpeace and several newspapers. The company has requested more than 10 million euros (8.6 million pounds sterling) in damages in known cases, according to the exclusively shared analysis with The Guardian by Aria, a non-profit research organization. The last ENI trial does not require compensation.

The judges ruled against ENI in three of the cases and another was resolved in a settlement agreement. Two other cases, including the criminal investigation into Tricarico and a civil affair against Greenpeace and Recomandon, continue.

Simona Abbate, climate and energy activist at Greenpeace Italy, said: “Eni tries to silence dissent. It is an international strategy that fossil companies use to limit the environmental movement.”

Activists say that cases are examples of “strategic proceedings against public participation”, known as slapps, who can intimidate journalists and dogs in silence with the threat of parasitic legal action which has little chance of success. Eni disputes characterization.

In April, a coalition of NGOs, notably journalists Without Borders and Transparency International, awarded ENI the title of “Slapp Addict of the year” for its defamation prosecution. The groups highlighted the ENI file in 2024 against Greenpeace and recom with a recommendation after having sought to hold in responsible for climatic damages.

The company has been responsible for 0.46% of global emissions since the industrial revolution, according to figures from the Carbon Majors database which includes emissions published by customers burning its fuels. The case of Eni against NGOs seeks to prevent them from characterizing their actions as “crimes” or using a similar language in the countryside.

An Eni spokesman said that he “had not only the right but the duty to turn to the judicial authorities in the face of false and defamatory statements that harm his reputation”.

They said: “It is important to note that there has been no SLAPP prosecution against environmental groups, because he did not ask for any financial compensation, but only the judicial truth to which it is entitled.”

In previous defamation prosecution that has lost, mainly concerning the coverage of the acquisition of a Nigerian oil field license, the company had requested damages of 5 million euros and € 350,000 from the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Daily and 5 million euros in RAI. Eni was finally acquitted criminal charges in the corruption trial, which was caused by NGOs, including the recommendation.

Climate activists and oil companies are increasingly turning to courts while combat on pollution and public opinion have become heavier. While several oil and gas companies have been criticized by militants of freedom of expression for having used legal threats to fight against criticism, Eni brought more prosecution against journalists and environmental groups than other European oil majors.

Tricarico said that there had been a “change of rhythm” since Eni’s attempts to claim damages from media organizations had failed, and that it now adopted a more subtle approach by not asking for money.

“The company realized that this was probably not enough to stop the few critical voices-and was actually a very bad result in court,” he said. “My feeling is that they move on to a different approach that you could call a” Slapp 2.0 “.”