Cold shower on the sale of Alitalia. “We do not expect any changes at this point” to the EU rules which set the threshold at 49% for a non-European investor in a European airline”. Seen in reverse, the ceiling means that the majority of the capital of a European company must remain in European hands. It is the position of the Brussels executive reaffirmed by EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc who leaves the 49% ceiling to the ownership of a European airline by a non-EU company. The verdict complicates the sale of the Italian company, making the commissioners' work more difficult as it narrows the number of eligible buyers essentially to two carriers: Air France and Lufthansa, barring any twists from Ryanair at the moment difficult to predict.
“The way we can help is by being clear with the rules”, in particular with what is defined in the EU Guidelines “on ownership and control”, which are “a very useful tool for those who invest and those who buy”, Bulc added in response in Luxembourg to journalists' questions about Alitalia which is currently in extraordinary administration.
