Corriere della Sera: EU Puts Italy in Dock for Earthquake Aid

Investigation will probe Italian laws granting assistance for earthquakes since 1990

The European Commission has opened an “in-depth investigation” into reductions of taxes and contributions granted by Italy to companies based in areas affected by natural disasters. The Commission circulated a press release to express fears that aid may “go beyond the actual damage suffered”. Investigators will be examining the laws that granted generous aid in the wake of the natural disasters that struck Italy between 1990 and 2011, from the 1990 earthquake in Sicily to 2009’s earthquake in Abruzzo.

INVESTIGATION – “The Commission is concerned that all aid beneficiaries may not be companies that effectively suffered damage as a consequence of natural disasters, that in some cases the damage may not have been caused exclusively by natural disasters and that the aid may not always be limited to compensating such damage”, according to the press release. The Commission notes that in 2002-2003, “Italy adopted amnesty measures which reduced by 90% the outstanding tax and contribution debts of these companies”. In 2007-2011, Italy adopted further similar legal provisions reducing by 60% amounts due by companies located in areas affected by other earthquakes, such as Umbria and Marche (1997), Molise and Puglia (2002) and Abruzzo (2009).

sourche: http://www.corriere.it/english/12_ottobre_18/aiuti_cf5374da-1904-11e2-b7ea-e60076599502.shtml