With tourism being one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic crisis, the European Commission has decided to help the Italian tourism sector with €15.6 million. "The measure was also adopted today, June 22, under the State aid Temporary Framework.The scheme consists of (i) limited amounts of aid and (ii) support for uncovered fixed costs, in both cases in the form of a tax credit to partially compensate companies for the payment of a municipal real estate tax related to tourism activities,” the statement of the EU Commission reads, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to the EU Commission, tourism companies must have had a turnover decline of at least 50 per cent in order to be eligible to benefit from the measure between April 1 and June 30, 2021, compared to the corresponding period of 2019.The Commission asserts that about 1,000 companies will be eligible for mass assistance.“ The Commission found that the Italian scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, when it comes to limited amounts of aid, the support will not exceed €2.3 million per beneficiary,” the statement also noted. As for the support of uncovered fixed costs, the assistance will not exceed €12 million per company, while public support will be provided no later than June 30, 2022. Previously, the EU Commission also approved another Italian scheme worth €129 million supporting the tourism sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU Commission stressed that the scheme consists of limited amounts of aid, in the form of a tax credit for rent payments related to tourism activities.
The payments will be delivered for the period January-March 2022, also in the form of support for uncovered fixed costs. In this regard, the Commission has decided that public support should not exceed €2.3 million per beneficiary in the case of limited amounts of assistance. Similarly, when it comes to supporting uncovered fixed costs, the aid will again not exceed €12 million per company. Moreover, the EU Commission has given the green light to another aid to Italy in support of the tourism and thermal baths sectors with €60 million. This plan consists of what is intended to reduce the labour costs being addressed by private employers in the tourism and thermal baths sectors but still encourage and maintain employment levels. Excluded from the scheme will be new employees temporarily or seasonally employed for three months, with the possibility of assistance being extended up to six months.
