Ilva will immediately close Taranto Mill and all other plants that Taranto is regularly supplying.

The company has announced this decision to the Trade Unions after additional 7 warrants have been issued by the local Attorney yesterday.

Ilva is saying that such a decision is unavoidable and that will also include all other Plants dislocated in Italy at Genoa, Novi Ligure, Racconigi, Marghera, Patrica.

Ilva was also announcing that the sale and marketing of its products coming from all Italian mills and plants was immediately stopped.

FIOM, the leftist Trade Union has invited all workers to remain inside the mill as well as to come to job also tomorrow morning.

Mr Corrado Clini, Environmental Minister, has spoken of "conflict" between the process of recovery of the environmental situation inside Taranto Mill decided by releasing AIA authorization and the decision of the Attorney. The Minister of Environment was issuing last October 26th a decree in force of which Ilva was authorized continuing the production, subject to comply with an agreed program of re conversion and investments aimed to drastically decrease the level of pollution.

The Attorney has decided the confiscation of the finished products of last weeks, saying that these are the products coming from an illegal production. According to the Attorney, Ilva was not authorized to produce because all equipment was under confiscation.