According to a decision published on July 27, the Milan Court of Appeal ordered Acciaierie d'Italia (ADI), formerly known as Ilva, to stop production in the hot shop of its steel mill in Taranto for the next 90 days.
To resume work, the court demanded the complete removal of all asbestos present at the facility and the adoption of measures to reduce dust emissions to established limits.
Initially, the Milan court decided to suspend production at the Taranto plant for health reasons at the end of February 2026, but this decision was conditional on the implementation of necessary environmental measures.
Immediately after the latest court decision, the Chairman of the Italian Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, called an urgent meeting in Rome, and on July 28, the authorities also met with trade unions.
The UILM union called for an eight-hour strike and demanded that the authorities work together to find a solution.
"Ninety days is a frightening number, but we are not afraid, and these ninety days should be used to the fullest extent to develop a number of specific solutions," said UILM Secretary General David Sperti. "Over the next ninety days, the government must take responsibility for leading this process, ensuring transparency, resources, and active public participation. There is no more room for delays, partial decisions or operations conducted without the participation of employees. This time, time must be used to make decisions."
Next week, the unions will meet with the Ministry of Enterprises and "Made in Italy" (MIMIT) and local authorities.
The source described the court's decision and its impact on the future of ADI as "asbestos and chaos." Close to the case, and the doomsday attitude was supported by an Italian distribution source who said that "we are witnessing the agony of Ilva."
Market sentiment, however, was not entirely pessimistic, and sources believe that the Italian authorities will find an alternative solution, perhaps by providing guarantees that the emissions issues will be resolved in order to delay the court's decision and ensure the sale of the plant.
The upcoming sale of ADI
This decision was made at a difficult moment, as ADI cannot be sold. The plant is about to be sold, and it needs additional funds to operate until the deal is completed. The Italian authorities are discussing the allocation of an additional 100 million euros to allow the plant to continue operating.
The two contenders for ADI are the Indian Jindal Group and the American investment firm Flacks Group. It is assumed that the latter is preparing to create a new Italian steel company called Flacksider, cooperating with other steel companies.