Brussels  - The European Commission said Tuesday it was taking Italy to court over the country's perceived mishandling of the rubbish crisis in its Campania region around Naples.

In a statement, the European Union's executive said it was referring Italy once again to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and was issuing a first written warning for failing to comply with a previous ECJ ruling.

The Italian government is accused of violating EU rules by failing to protect people's health and the environment against the risks posed by the mountains of waste that have accumulated in the area since the spring of last year.

EU officials said that while the situation had eased in recent months, the measures being taken by Italy were "inadequate to address Campania's waste problems in the long term and prevent a repeat of the unacceptable events seen over the past year."

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the piles of uncollected rubbish in the streets of Campania "graphically illustrate the threat to the environment and human health that results when waste management is inadequate."

Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi has vowed to make tackling the Naples' rubbish crisis one of the key priorities of his incoming centre-right government.

Italy risks a hefty fine if it fails to comply with EU demands. (dpa)