EU, Italy gets the OK for the energy safeguard clause. Melons: "14 billion…

European Commission confirmed forItaly the possibility of using 0.3% of GDP per investments in the energy sector within the overall margin of 1.5% foreseen for the defense of the safeguard clause of the Stability Pact. Brussels specifies, however, that the measures against high energy prices must remain temporary and targeted, without supporting the demand for fossil fuels.

Meloni: “14 billion to mitigate energy prices”

“The EU commission has accepted Italy’s request to have greater budget flexibility to address the energy crisis and this will allow us to spend 14 billion euros over the next 3 years to mitigate the impact of the increase in energy prices which affects vulnerable families, energy-intensive companies, which affects Italians”. Thus, in a video posted on X, the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Over the last few days I had personally written to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to address the issue, to reiterate how in this phase it was a priority to allow a greater deficit not only for security and defense expenditure but also for interventions on the high cost of energy. It is therefore an extremely important result, which many considered impossible but which we have built with determination and patience and which confirms Italy’s ability to assert its interests and propose effective and common sense solutions to the whole of Europe”, adds the Prime Minister.

Giorgetti’s satisfaction

The Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti spoke on the decision and expressed satisfaction: “I am satisfied because the Commission, unthinkable until a few months ago, has I accepted our proposalsthe result of long, serious and confidential work”. The minister added that, once the limits of use have been clarified, “the MEF reserves the right to make the most targeted proposals to protect businesses and families”, underlining that the evaluation must be overall and take into account the latest estimates and recommendations of the Commission, which “testify to the effort and seriousness of Italian public finance”.

The Democratic Party: the EU’s flexibility is good, the government should make up for lost time

“The opening of the EU Commission on flexibility for energy investments is a positive step forward, even if a community initiative based on common investments financed with EU debt remains necessary and preferable”. Thus in a note Antonio Misiani, head of Economy and Annalisa Corrado head of Environment, in the national secretariat of the PD.