Brussels, 07/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - At a press conference on Tuesday, EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said that he would 'pretty soon' be issuing infringement proceedings against Italy (but not at Wednesday's meeting of the College of Commissioners) over its attitude to Autostrade and Abertis merger plans. McCreevy said Italian law placed too many restrictions on the freedom of circulation of capital. The Commission accuses Italy of using a law to in effect block the planned merger between a Spanish motorway company and an Italian motorway company, despite the fact that EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has already approved the deal (see EUROPE 9272). On the competition aspects of the deal, the Commission has already noted that Italy violated its exclusive powers to rule on mergers with an EU dimension (see EUROPE 9289). (ab)