Don't water down budget - EC tells Italy

(ANSA) - Brussels, November 22 - The European Commission has warned Italy not to water down its 2018 budget bill in a letter to the government in Rome, EC Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told ANSA on Wednesday. "We recognise that Italy has made many efforts recently for competitiveness and growth, (but) it is crucial that the 2018 budget is adopted without the main measures being watered down," said Dombrovskis, who wrote the letter to Italy along with Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici.
    "It should be applied in a rigid way to hit the target of a structural (deficit reduction) of 0.3% of GDP".