Italy risks breaking EU rules with its current plan for a new bridge to Sicily.

The conservative government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved in August this long-delayed bridge project, aiming to build what would be the world's longest suspension bridge (3,3 km) linking the island of Sicily to the mainland for 13,5 billion euros.

But at the end of October, the Court of Auditors indicated that it did not approve this project, specifying that it would detail the reasons for its decision before the end of November.

In these latest reports, published a few days ago, the Court of Auditors considers that the project approved by the government violates the European directive that protects natural habitats and species.

It also indicates that the government circumvented the need to seek the European Commission's opinion on the environmental impact by declaring that the project met "overriding reasons of superior public interest".

But "the assumptions concerning the various 'reasons of public interest' are not validated by the technical bodies and are not supported by adequate documentation," she said.

The Court of Auditors also suggests that, under European rules applicable to bidders, it would have expected a new call for tenders to be launched, given the sharp increase in costs and the change in financing compared to the initial project, which was approved some twenty years ago.

The environmental NGO WWF indicated that it was not surprising to learn that "the procedure pursued by the government violated regulations on environmental protection and public procurement".

For decades, politicians have debated the construction of a bridge across the Strait of Messina, a narrow strip of water between Sicily and Calabria, at the tip of the Italian boot.

The bridge would include two central railway tracks and three traffic lanes on each side, with a 3,3 kilometer suspended span - a world record - connecting two 400-meter-high towers.

The approval in August by a government committee, CIPESS, is the biggest step forward ever achieved by the project.

Although Rome can move forward without the green light from the Court of Auditors, the government insisted on Thursday that there was "plenty of room for clarification" on the issues raised.

Its supporters claim that this state-funded project will boost the economy of poorer regions in southern Italy.

Critics warn that the bridge risks becoming a financial drain. It has also sparked local protests regarding its environmental impact.