Atlantia concerned over government member comments on state-backed loan

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s Atlantia raised concern on Friday over comments by a member of government calling on its Autostrade per l’Italia unit to be barred from accessing a state-backed loan, saying it was damaging to the group. The Benetton-led company said it would ask its lawyers “to evaluate all the actions necessary… in view of the serious damage being caused”.

Autostrade has been given the green light to use a 900 million euros ($980 million) credit line granted by Atlantia, the parent company said.

Atlantia also complained that the government had not yet replied to Autostrade’s 2.9 billion euro proposal to end a dispute over the revocation of its motorway concession.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Stephen Jewkes)