According to international media reports, the extraordinary commissioners of Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI), formerly Ilva, have filed legal action with a Milanese court seeking €7 billion in damages from former shareholder ArcelorMittal.
The move comes as the Italian government continues its process to identify a new buyer for ADI, which is currently under extraordinary administration.
As previously reported by SteelOrbis, in December last year Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso said the commissioners would launch a €5 billion damages claim, following the shift of the plant’s management under public control in early 2024. Based on documentation cited by the media reports, the forensic due diligence carried out by the commissioners reportedly links the company’s financial imbalances to a deliberate, long-running strategy aimed at the “systematic and unilateral” transfer of resources from the Italian company to its parent group.
In parallel, the commissioners state that the checks conducted have highlighted serious maintenance shortcomings and damage to the facilities at the Taranto site, with direct impacts on production capacity. The dossier also refers to alleged issues concerning governance and decision-making processes, including the hypothesis of a “parallel” management structure that would have bypassed the company’s ordinary corporate bodies.
As regards the sale process, ADI remains under pressure amid high energy costs and weak demand, while operational continuity at the site is seen as crucial for Italy’s manufacturing supply chain. According to previous company statements, multiple expressions of interest were received during 2025, with only a limited number of parties willing to acquire the full perimeter of assets.
The legal dispute and the evolution of the divestment process therefore remain two key dossiers for the future of Italy’s main steelmaking hub.