Firm interested in Embraco - Calenda (5)

(ANSA) - Rome, February 21 - 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".