Press Release: State aid: Commission refers Italy to Court of Justice for failure to recover illegal aid

The European Commission has decided to initiate proceedings before the European Court of Justice in view of Italy's failure to comply with the Commission's decision of 25 November 1999 ordering Italy to recover illegal and incompatible state aid granted to companies in Venice and Chioggia (see IP/99/887). More than seven years after the Commission adopted this decision, Italy has only recovered a small part - about 1% - of the total aid amount to be recovered.