Brazil minister will do all he can (4)

(ANSA) - Brussels, February 28 - Brazilian Industry Minister Marcos Jorge de Lima on Wednesday promised European Parliament President Antonio Tajani he would do "all he could" on Embraco's plans to move production from Italy to Slovakia with the loss of nearly 500 jobs, Tajani said Wednesday. De Lima "assured me he will do everything possible to lend a hand and will call the firm to understand how the situation is evolving," Tajani said after a long phone call with the minister.
    Tajani said he had "illustrated the picture of the situation of Embraco and asked for help and collaboration on the part of Brazilian authorities, also in the context of relations with the Mercosur".
    Minister de Lima "considered positive the idea of contacting the Americans," Tajani said, referring to parent company Whirlpool.
    "We are trying to do so," he said.
    The minister said he would do his utmost to help solve the situation while stressing that both Embraco and Whirlpool were private companies.
    Embraco, a Brazilian fridge-compressor unit of US multinational Whirlpool, plans to close its plant near Turin.
    Italy has referred the case to European Competition Commissioner Margrthere Vestager who has vowed to be intransigent if it turns out that Slovakian incentives to lure the company there constitute State aid, which is banned.