“A car called Milano cannot be produced in Poland”

Between the Italian Government and Stellantis continues pull and pull about the issue of increasing the production of cars in our country that we have talked about several times recently. The new battlefield is the new Alfa Romeo Milano. The minister Adolfo Urso beside the presentation of the new B-SUV, he insisted that a car called the Milano could not be produced in Poland and a 2003 law would ban it.

A car called the Milano cannot be produced in Poland. This is prohibited by the Italian law which in 2003 defined the Italian Voice, a law which provides that no information should be given that misleads the user. They will be misidentifications clearly associated with geographical indicators. Therefore a car called Milano must be produced in Italy, otherwise a false indication is given which is not allowed by Italian law.

Reference is to law 350/2003, article 4, paragraph 49, designed to protect Made in Italy. We can read in the first lines:

Importing and exporting for the purpose of sale or sale or the performance of actions aimed at the sale of products with false or misleading indications of origin or nature is a crime and is punishable in accordance with article 517 of the Penal Code. Stamping “made in Italy” on products and products not from Italy according to European laws on origin is a false indication; is a false indication, even if the foreign origin and origin of the product or products is indicated, the use of signs, figures, or anything else that may lead the consumer to believe that the product or products are of Italian origin including falsehood or misuse of company trademarks in accordance with the rules of deceptive commercial practices, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 49-bis, or the use of trademarks of Italian companies for goods or products not originating in Italy in accordance with the original European law without accuracy. indications, in plain letters, of the country or place of manufacture or production, or other indications sufficient to avoid any mistake as to their true foreign origin.

It must be said that The choice of the name Milano for the B-SUV has been known for some time e We’ve known for a long time that the car would be built at the Stellantis factory in Poland where the “cousin” Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600 are built.

Regarding the production in Poland, it must be said that Tavares, on the sidelines of the press conference for the presentation of the model, explained that if the Milano was built in Italy it would cost around 10 thousand euros more. The price would not start at around 30 thousand euros but at 40 thousand euros.

However, the minister returned to discuss the issue a plan to relaunch the Italian car industry, responding to what Tavares announced yesterday. Urso highlights that the Government is working to enable Stellantis to produce at least one million cars. Furthermore, it notes that in order to support the relevant sector it is necessary to reach the production of 1.4 million vehicles per year.

The Minister then goes directly to the point, insisting that if Stellantis believes it can increase production well, otherwise the arrival of another manufacturer in our country cannot be avoided.

If Stellantis believes it can do it, so be it, otherwise it is inevitable that there will be room for other car manufacturers or more. We are a free market: we can and must encourage Italian or foreign investment of course within the rules of the free market and we discuss this with those who believe in building factories in Europe.

Urso also adds that Italy is a unique case. In several countries there are many car manufacturers while in Italy there is only Stellantis.

In Spain there are seven car manufacturers, in other countries like France, Poland, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary five or six. Italy is the only case in Europe where there is only one car manufacturer, which cannot meet the needs of the domestic market. It is an unusual situation that must be filled.

The doors are open to Stellantis’ Chinese partner (Leapmotor) if it wants to be produced in Italy.

I understand that Stellantis’s Chinese partner intends to build a factory in Europe and is considering whether to do so in Poland or in other countries. He could do it in Italy, so be it.

Finally, the Minister insists willingness to cooperate and Stellantis in order to achieve the goal of increasing production in Italian factories and he says he is confident that this project can come true. The government intends to do its part, Urso insists, but the cards must be clear.

The government is striving to ensure that more cars are produced in our country in a constructive and sustainable dialogue with Stellantis so that the plan announced by the CEO can be implemented to produce at least one million cars in our country for a period that will be sufficient to some extent. local needs. I am confident that we will be able to complete the project. Today the gap between cars produced and registered is very wide, the widest in Europe. Stellantis produces 450 thousand cars in Italy and two thirds for export as a source of 1.4 million registered cars. So in Italy there are already other producers who cover half of the domestic market. We want to cooperate as much as we can with Stellantis, it is very important that we succeed in this plan to produce one million cars. The Italian government will do its part, but the cards must be clear.