Italy seeks swift EU antitrust ruling on ITA-Lufthansa, minister says

ORTUCCHIO, Italy (Reuters) - Italy expects the European Commission to reach a quick decision in favour of Lufthansa's bid to buy a minority stake in carrier ITA Airways after opening an antitrust investigation in January, Italy's industry minister said on Monday.

The German carrier in May agreed to buy 41% of the state-owned Italian airline, created from the ashes of bankrupt Alitalia, for 325 million euros ($352.63 million) with a view to later acquiring a majority stake.

However, the European Commission opened a full-scale investigation into the deal on concerns that the acquisition could reduce competition in passenger air transport services on several short-haul and long-haul routes.

"We expect the Commission to decide in a timely manner, and therefore quickly. This should happen in order to provide full clarity," Minister Adolfo Urso told reporters on the sidelines of an event at a space centre in central Italy.

"We believe that the Commission should decide in favour of this project, which strengthens the European air industry, and Europe's competition," he added.

On Friday, Reuters reported that Lufthansa expects to receive an EU antitrust warning in the coming weeks over the proposed transaction, and is prepared to offer targeted remedies to address competition concerns.

($1 = 0.9217 euros)

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Alvise Armellini, Kirsten Donovan)

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