Press Release: State aid: Commission finds that prolongation of Italian compensation scheme for interruptibility services in Sardinia and Sicily involves no state aid

The European Commission has authorised under EU State aid rules the prolongation until 2015 of an Italian scheme which remunerates companies for the provision of instant interruptibility services in Italy's largest islands, Sardinia and Sicily. The Commission found, in particular, that these services are still needed and remunerated at market value; therefore the scheme does not constitute state aid in the meaning of the EU rules. However, this finding is based on the current market situation and is therefore limited until the end of 2015.