The Business and Made in Italy
Ministry, at the initiative of Minister Adolfo Urso, has
authorized the commissioners who have taken over the running of
the troubled former ILVA Acciaierie d'Italia (AdI) steelworks in
Taranto to start preferential negotiations with an Azerbaijani
consortium led by Baku Steel Company (BSC) and by the Azerbaijan
Business Development Fund (ABDF), according to a note published
by the ministry on Thursday.
The note said that the ministry's green light was given after a
request presented on March 21 by the commissioners and the
favourable opinion granted by the oversight committee.
The plant in the Puglia city is one of the largest in Europe and
a major employer in the region.
The steelworks, which has over 8,000 employees, was put into
special administration by the government last year and declared
insolvent after the multinational ArcelorMittal's term as the
majority stakeholder ended acrimoniously.
The plant has been the subject of legal battles over its impact
on the environment and on local people's health for many years.
In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights found that the
steelworks had a significant negative impact on the environment
and the health of local residents.
Previous owners the Riva family were convicted of causing higher
than normal cancer rates in Taranto, especially among children.
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