(Finance) – The Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso and the Minister of Labor and Social Policies Marina Calderonand today they had a meeting via video link with the associations representing the supplier companies and the related activities of Acciaierie d’Italia, for an update on the situation of the former Ilva also in order to prepare further measures necessary for the supply chain. During the meeting – underlines a Mimit-Lavoro note – the ministers illustrated the measures recently taken by the government to ensure the company’s production continuity. In the next few days, the ministers will convene the trade union representatives of the supplier companies and related industries to continue the process of consultation.
Meanwhile, the European Commission “does not comment” on the latest developments in the affair of the former Ilva factory in Taranto, but recalls that it is now up to Italy to evaluate whether the hypothesized bridge loan could be granted, by government decision, to the company steel industry constitutes state aid, and in this case notify it to the EU before granting it. The Commission’s competition spokesperson, Lea Zuber, said this today in Brussels, answering a journalist’s question during the daily press briefing of the Community Executive. “It is up to the Member States to assess whether a specific measure involves State aid, under Community law, and, if this is the case, proceed to notify the Commission so that it can evaluate it before it is granted to the beneficiary“, the spokeswoman pointed out.
Yesterday, in fact, a note released after the meeting with the Palazzo Chigi unions reported that a bridging loan of 320 million euros for the former Ilva: “current liquidity will be guaranteed if the extraordinary administration procedure is started” pfor the company.