State aid: Italy (Elena project)
The Commission of the European Communities publishes authorization for State aid, pursuant to Articles 92 and 93 of the EEC Treaty, with regard to the Italian Government's proposal to award aid in the form of a soft loan of ECU 87 million to Iveco SpA for a truck engine development programme. The Elena project (Engines Low-Emission Not Aggressive) is a joint-venture Eureka research programme taking place over the period 1990-1995 at a total cost to the company of ECU 735 million. The Commission considers it clear that a large part of the expenditure on the Elena project covers research activities into some of the most fundamental technological and engineering challenges facing the truck industry in the coming decade. It is concerned with a fundamental reevaluation of the engine, gearbox, driveline and axle systems, with the objective of finding an engine architecture to cover the full engine range for the year 2000 and the following decade. The fuel injection, air supply and braking systems will be fully electronically monitored so as to ensure the automation of the engine-gearbox operation under any conditions, enabling the vehicle to operate in "drive by wire mode". New and innovative solutions are also being sought in turbocharging, injection, gear shifting reduction and other areas. A further positive aspect of the project is its collaborative nature, so that research results should be distributed widely, as many of the partners are independent manufacturers or consultants in the Community motor components sector.
Countries
Italy