Press Release: State aid: Commission requires Italy to recover around €18 million incompatible state aid from metal producers Portovesme, ILA and Eurallumina

The European Commission has found that operating aid granted by Italy to Portovesme, ILA and Eurallumina in the form of subsidized electricity prices is incompatible with EU state aid rules and needs to be recovered. After an in-depth investigation, the Commission concluded that the preferential tariffs offered to these companies merely reduced the operating costs of the beneficiaries and improved their competitive position without furthering any goal of common interest. The Commission also prohibited the project to grant identical tariffs as of 2005 in favour of the same beneficiaries plus chlorine producer Syndial.