The European Commission considers that an Italian public aid regime of €43.9 million up to 2020, aiming to support investments in regions hit by four earthquakes between 2016 and 2017, complies with EU rules.
In 2016 and 2017, four major earthquakes hit the centre of Italy, affecting some 600,000 people in an area of around 8000 km². This region is still facing abnormal seismic activity.
The Italian aid regime aims to boost economic activity in particular, as this has been reduced by 50%. Set in place for 140 municipalities of the Italian regions of Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Abruzzo, it will take the form of a tax credit for all companies investing in the region for the first time.
The Commission approved the Italian programme on the basis of its duration, budget and limited geographical scope. “The measure is well targeted to support the businesses affected and people living in these regions”, said Margrethe Vestager, the Commissioner for Competition.
In September 2017, the European Parliament approved record aid of €1.2 billion from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to rebuild the Italian regions affected (see EUROPE 11861). (Original version in French by Mathieu Solal, intern)