(ANSA) -
Brussels, January 2 - The European Commission on Wednesday warned Italy to clear
up its trash crisis or face punitive action.
Rubbish has been heaped in the streets in and around
Naples for days and many piles were set alight on New Year's Eve.
The pyres were still smoking on Wednesday, sending
toxic fumes across the city.
Officials said there were ''dangerous'' levels of
dioxin in the air.
Elsewhere, police had to move in to break up a
renewed protest against a new rubbish incinerator near the southern Italian
city.
All six waste-disposal plants in the Campania region
had to close down because of demonstrators stopping the packed rubbish leaving
their gates.
''The EC is following the situation very closely and
will weigh whether to take action in the coming days,'' said Environment
Spokesman Stavros Dimas.
