Italcomp situation

Question for written answer  E-000220/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Silvia Sardone (ID)

In September 2020 a plan was presented with a view to merging two factories – Embarco (in the province of Turin) and Acc (Belluno) into a newco under the name ‘Italcomp’. This new company has the great ambition of becoming the third European hub for refrigeration compressors, which would save the jobs of 700 employees. The Italian Government’s Minister for Economic Development has applied to the Commission to request a 49% stake for the Italian state and a 10% stake for the Veneto and Piedmont Regions, with a view to bringing production to full capacity by 2025 and subsequently relying entirely on the private sector. In December, for the second time, the Commission asked the government for further clarification, thereby delaying the aid and jeopardising the merger.

In view of the above, can the Commission answer the following questions:

• 1.What clarifications does it still need before approving the Italian Government’s request?
• 2.Can the government’s plan not be considered in the context of the industrial development and job protection goals promoted by the EU?
• 3.Have there been any further developments in relations between the Commission and the Italian Government with regard to the above issue?