The Italian government has issued a new decree to completely ban solar from agricultural land. The new provisions will not apply to projects currently undergoing the approval process.

The government rules constitute a complete ban on ground-mounted solar PV projects on land classed as agricultural. The policy is intended to preserve Italy’s productive agricultural land and “put an end to the wild installation of ground-mounted photovoltaics,” according to agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida.

The government said it will still be possible to continue producing energy in quarries, mines, areas under concession to the state railway, areas under concession to airport concessionaires, areas protecting the motorway strip, and areas inside industrial plants, among others.

Lollobrigida said that the government will safeguard all projects in the process of approval.

The new provisions have already generated criticism from the local PV sector.

The Italian government has banned solar PV installations on agricultural land, in a move that the nation’s solar trade association said would cost Italy €60 billion (US$64.5 billion).

“From what we could understand from the press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers, the government has decided to place an unnecessary restriction on photovoltaic installations on agricultural land, disregarding the commitments already ratified,” said Italian trade body Italia Solare in a statement.

Italian agricultural association Coldiretti welcomed the move to halt speculation by large investment funds, which has been putting agricultural production at risk. It has long called for the allocation of suitable areas for ground-mounted PV.

Part of the article excerpted from the network, infringement contact deleted.