On November 27, Italian prime minister Mario Monti presented to Italian president Giorgio Napolitano the draft of a decree compiled by the Italian government which would guarantee the continuation of operations at Taranto-based steelmaker Ilva, based on the assumption that steel production at the Ilva complex is a strategic interest of the nation. A final version of the decree should be issued within the next few days.
Accordingly, the decree will confirm the validity of the Environmetal Integrated Authorization (EIA) filed by Italy’s Ministry of Environment in late October, while imposing strict controls on the implementation of the EIA itself. The order enacted by the Court of Taranto, aimed at seizing Ilva’s upstream plants, has been suspended for a period of twenty-four months.