EU backs €2.5 billion Italian scheme to support self-employed

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The EU has approved a €2.5 billion Italian scheme to support self-employed individuals and certain healthcare professionals in the context of the coronavirus outbreak, by partially exempting them from social security contributions.

The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.

“This €2.5 billion scheme will enable Italy to further support the self-employed individuals who have been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak,” said Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy.

“The scheme will also support retired healthcare professionals that needed to resume their activity to contribute to the response to the outbreak. We continue working in close cooperation with Member States to find workable solutions to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, in line with EU rules,” she added.

Italy notified to the Commission under the Temporary Framework an aid scheme with a total estimated budget of €2.5 billion, exempting self-employed individuals and certain healthcare professionals from social security contributions for the year 2021, up to a maximum annual amount of €3,000 per person.

The scheme will be open to self-employed individuals who have suffered a decrease in turnover or professional fees of at least one third in 2020 compared to 2019, and whose 2019 overall income subject to such social contributions did not exceed €50,000. The scheme will be also open to healthcare professionals who were retired but needed to resume their professional activity to respond to the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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