The European Commission, the watchdog authority for the single market and free competition in the 27-member EU, has started an investigation about the loan given by the Italian Government to Alitalia. The rumours that have gone on for days within the EU institutions have been confirmed by the EU Executive, in a note. The new Transport Commissioner, the Italian Antonio Tajani, will break the news of the decision to Rome’s Government. The investigation is a procedure that is compulsorily carried out by the EU Commission any time something that may have "upset" the market is found out. "The investigation that has been started reads the note published in Brussels concerns the 300-million-euro loan given by the Italian Government to the airline Alitalia to cope with the difficult situation in which it is". The two "key issues" raised by the EU Executive are: "making sure whether this measure is tantamount to a governmental aid pursuant to the Treaty" and "determining whether such aid is compatible with the single market". The EU will also consider the fact that Alitalia "has already benefited from aids for its reorganisation (2001) and for its bailout (2004)", so "in principle the Italian Government could not help it any more".
