"In the face of critical issues represented by the company, which would make it difficult to maintain the commitments it assumed in relation to production and employment, the government has expressed its willingness to investigate and verify all the conditions and the tools with which to face and resolve them," stated a joint note by Italian economic development Minister Stefano Patuanelli and Italian minister for southern Italy Giuseppe Provenzano, which was released at the end of a meeting on October 30 between them and new ArcelorMittal Italy CEO Lucia Morselli. This meeting happened after ArcelorMittal Italia earlier this month lost its legal immunity from penal proceedings over environmental issues at the ex-Ilva plant in Taranto. Chairman of ArcelorMittal, Aditya Mittal, and Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products, were also present at the meeting.
The note continued, "The government has confirmed to the top management of ArcelorMittal its full awareness of the strategic value for our country of the former Ilva plant in Taranto, and has strongly reiterated the need to guarantee production continuity, the implementation of the environmental plan and employment protection."
The two ministers concluded by specifying that "in the coming days, a new meeting will be convened between the government and the company, involving trade unions and local institutions."