Invitalia, the industry
ministry's inward investment agency, on Wednesday met an unnamed
foreign firm that may be interested in the Italian plant of
Embraco, the Brazilian unit of US multinational Whirlpool which
is shifting production to Slovakia, Industry Minister Carlo
Calenda said.
"Scouting is going ahead," said Calenda, adding "I will meet
trade unions next week and bring them up to date on
developments".
Embraco is firing its 500 Italian workers at the plant near
Turin and offshoring the jobs to the eastern European country.
Italy has appealed to European Competition Commissioner
Margrethe Vestager who has vowed to be "intransigent" if
Slovakia is found to have used State aid to lure Embraco there.
Premier Paolo Gentiloni, for his part, said "no to fiscal and
social dumping in the EU".
He said this was why the government had made the Embraco
issue "an exemplaty case".
Earlier Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said the European
Union must be "severe" if Embraco's moving production from Italy
to Slovakia involves State aid on the part of the eastern
European country.
"I have great confidence in the competence and objectivity of
Vestager," Padoan said.
"If there is State aid (allowing low labour costs), as is
possible, I expect the Commission to take severe measures"
because State aid "is a serious violation of the internal
market", he said.
Vestager will give a press conference on the case later
Wednesday.
On Tuesday she promised Industry Minister Carlo Calenda she
would be "intransigent".
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