On 16 and 17 May last, Emilia-Romagna and Marche were hit by a flood of unprecedented violence, a tragic event that caused human casualties and extensive damage to the economic and social fabric of those regions.
Upon the instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Antonio Tajani, the Italian Trade and Investment Agency (ICE) has allocated three million euros for extraordinary support measures for companies in the flooded areas.
“An initial contribution of solidarity aimed to help some companies in the regions get back on their feet” Minister Tajani said, adding that “the extraordinary measures will enable concrete savings for each participating company and will provide tangible and immediate support to relaunch their business in international markets”.
The measures provide facilities for companies eligible for the initiatives already planned by the ICE Agency with offices in the Municipalities recognised as “victims of the natural disaster”. For one year, free participation with a stand at the pavilions organised by the Agency in the main foreign trade fairs, as well as free participation in promotion projects managed by ICE with international e-commerce platforms, will be ensured.
Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE, said: “Faced with this disaster, ICE wanted to take immediate action to implement concrete initiatives that – after the essential first aid actions – look to a restart phase that inevitably focuses on the companies that make up the extraordinary economic fabric of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. I am certain that many other initiatives like this one will be undertaken, thanks to the spirit of solidarity of which Italians are capable”.
