The Italian government announced on Thursday it would challenge a ban in three of the country's regions preventing the construction of nuclear plants on their territory in the Constitutional Court.
The laws adopted by the Southern regions of Campania, Basilicata and Apulia "do not recognise the State's exclusive jurisdiction over the safeguard of the environment, over national security and over competition," Economic Development Minister Claudio Scajola said in a statement.
All three regions are headed by governors of the center-left, in opposition to the center-right government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced shortly after taking power in May 2008 that Italy would begin building nuclear power stations to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil and gas supplies.
The government has set a target of producing one-quarter of its power needs through nuclear energy by 2030.
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