EU to OK Italy deficit of at least 2.3%

(ANSA) - Brussels, September 27 - The European Commission is inclined to allow Italy to have a deficit of "at least 2.3%" of GDP for 2017, after taking account of its spending following the August earthquake and the expenditure required to tackle the asylum-seeker crisis, source close to the negotiations said on Tuesday. The target deficit for next year was meant to be 1.8%.
    The concession of 0.5 of a percentage point is the equivalent of around eight billion euros in the budget.