The special commissioner for
ILVA Piero Gnudi said Wednesday that it will be difficult to
sell parts of the troubled steel plant in southern Italy while
it is largely impounded.
Major international steel giants, such as
ArcelorMittal-Marcegaglia and Arvedi, have expressed interest,
but it would be a tough sell while ILVA is in continued
difficulty, Gnudi told a commission of the Lower House.
"Nobody ever bought an impounded company, and today 75% of
ILVA is seized," Gnudi said of the scandal-plagued steelmaker,
which has threatened to shed jobs and even close over the
massive costs of an environmental cleanup at its plant in the
southern port city of Taranto.
Private companies interested in ILVA "showed concern" about
its problems, including orders issued by European courts to deal
with the environmental problems at ILVA.
But all have said they could agree to "maintain employment
levels," added Gnudi, who became special commissioner of the
plant in June.
He also told the hearing that he did not think Italian
energy giant Eni would actually cut off power supplies to the
troubled steel mill as has been reported.
Some media have said Eni has threatened to take action if
bills worth some 250 million euros aren't paid, or a guarantee
offered, by December 29.
Earlier this month, Premier Matteo Renzi said that his
government was considering whether to take over the plant,
saying in media interviews that if it did, it would not be a
long-term deal.
Instead, Renzi said, if the government did take on ILVA, it
would hold Europe's largest steel producer for only "two or
three years, defend employment, protect the environment, and
then relaunch it on the market".
On Wednesday, sources said Renzi told members of his party
that he was wary of a private takeover of ILVA if it were to
threaten jobs.
ILVA was placed under special administration by the Italian
government in 2013 and in October 2014, the European Commission
gave Italy two months to deal with the longstanding health and
environment problems at the ILVA steel plant.
If it fails, it risks seeing the case referred to the
European Court of Justice, the EC warned.
The European Union has been pressing Italy to ensure the
ILVA plant complies with laws on industrial emissions and health
standards, and said in October it had some "serious
shortcomings"
Other problems around management of waste, protection of
soil, and groundwater are outstanding, the EU said.
The plant still emits too much industrial dust "with
potentially serious consequences for the health of the local
population and the environment".
Brussels had already sent Italy two previous letters urging
action on ILVA.
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