Press Release: State aid: Commission endorses €180 million aid to Digital Display Devices (DDD) for large investment project in Campania, Italy

The European Commission authorised, under EC Treaty state aid rules, €180 million of aid granted by the Italian authorities to Digital Display Devices (DDD) for a new plant for the production of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) panels and partial assembly into TFT-LCD modules for flat screens for TV sets and computer monitors. DDD will be the first producer of LCD panels in Europe, as currently all TFT-LCD panels are produced outside the European Economic Area (EEA), mainly in the Far East. The project will create about 1000 new jobs in Campania, one of the poorest regions in Italy. The Commission found the measure to be compatible with the requirements of the applicable Regional Aid Guidelines of 1998 and the rules for regional aid for large investment projects of 2002 (see IP/02/242) because it respects the relevant thresholds on market share and production capacity.