Brussels, 30/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 30 September, the European Commission approved a €9 million state aid system notified by the Italian authorities with the aim of improving rail freight and encouraging transport to shift from road to rail in the region of Emilia Romagna in Italy. The aid scheme is scheduled to last three years and the Commission says it should encourage transport by rail in the current economic and financial crisis and will help compensate for the external costs when goods are sent by rail rather than road. The Commission expects the measures to reduce pollution, reduce congestion and improve road safety in this industrial region of central Italy. The Commission therefore concluded that the state aid scheme complied with EU rail transport policy and was therefore compatible with the Single Market. (O.L. /transl.fl)