ANSA reported that two Italian cabinet ministers said that the outgoing technical government aims to shepherd through parliament the so called "ILVA decree", in addition to reforms laid out in next year's budget, before it is dissolved for early elections.
Civil Service Minister Filippo Patroni Griffi outside a meeting in Milan said that "I believe that everyone understands the necessity of having to approve next year's budget and the ILVA decree making reference to a government decree that establishes environmental clean up measures under which the troubled ILVA steelworks plant in Taranto can continue to operate."
The Italian government on November 30 approved a decree after ILVA said that the plant risked "imminent" closure due to a criminal probe into an environmental scandal that saw several top managers arrested.
The Taranto plant's furnaces were placed under special administration in July following accusations that emissions from them caused abnormally high levels of tumours and respiratory diseases in the Taranto area.
Premier Mario Monti said the decree would protect local people's health as well as the jobs of some 20,000 workers.
