I "criminal proceedings" dell'ENI per il 2013

Eni's business and corporate activities has to be carried out in a transparent,  

honest and fair way, in good faith, and in full compliance with competition protection rules.

Dal codice etico dell'ENI

 

 Intanto oggi 17 Gennaio 2015 viene fuori che hanno 

pure pagato tangenti in Tunisia - Scaroni lo conferma a Passera. 

 I due si possono dare la mano.

 

Come tutti gli anni, anche nel 2013 l'ENI ha presentato agli investitori americani il suo F-20 Form, un fascicolo di circa 380 pagine in cui si illustrano tutte le attivita' in corso, secondo quanto richiesto dalla SEC, la Securities and Exchange Commission, una specie di Consob americana.

Il rapporto per l'anno fiscale che e' terminato il 31 Dicembre 2012 e' stato pubblicato a Maggio di quest'anno. Come sempre, il rapporto include una sfilza di "criminal proceedings" giudicati o in giudicando da parte dell'ENI. A volte le cause sono state dismesse per scadenza dei limiti, per esempio a Gela dove e' quasi tutto finito per prescrizione.

Certo, come se le falde inquinate si potessero prescrivere!

Alla ditta di Paolo Scaroni non piace che le parole "criminal proceedings" vengano tradotte in italiano, cosi semplicemente le lasciamo scritte cosi.  Mi sa pero' che non sia cosi difficile capire che "criminal" significhi criminal e che "criminal proceedings" non sia una cosa di cui andare fieri.

Credo anche che le parole "environmental disaster", "manslaughter", "illegal disposal of waste materials", "contamination", "poisoning", "negligent conduct", "diseases related to tumors", "recidivism", "illicit payments", "aggravated fraud", "alleged corruption", "certain illicit payments to Libyan officials", "criminal consipiracy" parlino da se.

Notare che c'e' dentro tutta l'Italia - Crotone, Gela, Priolo, Molfetta, Porto Torres, Praia a Mare, Castrovillari, Pieve Vergonte, Carrara, Augusta, Cengio, Pineto, Milano, Falconara, Tortoreto, Mantova. Hanno contenziosi pure di antitrust, con l'Alitalia, casi in Nigeria, con i contatori dei gas, in Libia, in Algeria, in Croazia, per mancato pagamento dell'ICI, in Iraq, in Kazakhstan, Kuwait, in Angola, in Indonesia, in Francia, e chi piu ne ha piu ne metta.

Insomma, proprio una ditta onesta!

Ad ogni modo, ecco dalla loro boccuccia di rosa, pagine e pagine e pagine di innocenti attivita' dell'ENI per il bene dell'umanita'.

Nel frattempo, secondo l'Espresso del 3 Marzo 2014, all'amminisratore delegato dell'ENI, Paolo Scaroni, toccano circa 6.397.000 l'anno e nel caso venga sostituito, un bonus di 8.360.000 milioni di euro.

1. Environment

1.1 Criminal proceedings

(i) Investigation of the quality of groundwater in the area of the refinery of Gela.

A criminal proceeding is pending before the Public Prosecutor of Gela relating to an alleged breach of environmental rules concerning the pollution of water and soil and illegal disposal of liquid and solid waste materials within the activity of the Gela refinery. Both a first degree Court at Gela and a second degree court dismissed the case because the statute of limitations expired.

(ii) Alleged negligent fire (Priolo).

The Public Prosecutor of Siracusa commenced an investigation relating to certain Eni managers who were in charge of conducting operations at the refinery of Priolo prior to divesting the refinery to Erg Raffinerie Mediterranee SpA in July 31, 2002. The investigation aimed at ascertaining whether Eni managers acted with negligence in connection with a fire that occurred at the Priolo plants on April 30 and May 1-2, 2006. Upon conclusion of the preliminary investigations the Public Prosecutor requested the mentioned managers would stand trial for negligent behavior. The Ministry for the Environment has been acting as plaintiff. The proceeding is pending.

(iii) Groundwater at the Priolo site – Prosecuting body: Public Prosecutor of Siracusa.

The Public Prosecutor of Siracusa (Sicily) has started an investigation in order to ascertain the level of contamination of the groundwater at the Priolo site. The Company has been notified that a number of its executive officers in charge at the time of the events subject to probe, including chief executive officers and plant general managers of the Company’s subsidiaries AgipPetroli SpA (now merged into the parent company Eni SpA in the Refining & Marketing Division), Syndial and Polimeri Europa (now Versalis SpA) are being investigated. According to the technical surveys the ground and the groundwater at the Priolo site should be considered polluted according to Legislative Decree No. 152/2006. This contamination was caused by a spill-over made in the period prior to 2001 and not subsequent to 2005; the equipment still operating on the site represent another source of risk, in particular the ones owned by ISAB Srl (ERG). According to the findings, the Public Prosecutor requested the dismissal of the proceeding. The decision of the Judge on the dismissal of the proceeding is still pending.

(iv) Fatal accident Truck Center Molfetta – Prosecuting body: Public Prosecutor of Trani.

On May 11, 2010, Eni SpA, eight employees of the Company and a former employee were notified of closing of the investigation into alleged manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and illegal disposal of waste materials in relation to a fatal accident occurred in March 2008 that caused the death of four workers deputed to the cleaning of a tank owned by a company part of the Italian Railways Group. The tank was used for the transportation of liquid sulphur produced by Eni in the refinery of Taranto. The Public Prosecutor has removed three defendants and transmitted evidence to the Judge for the Preliminary Investigations requesting to dismiss the proceeding. The Judge for the Preliminary Investigations accepted the above mentioned request. In the hearing of April 19, 2011, the Judge admitted as plaintiffs against the above mentioned individuals all the parts, excluding the relatives of one of the victims, whose position has been declared inadmissible because of lack of a cause of action. The Judge declared inadmissible all the requests brought by other parties to act as plaintiffs against Eni. On December 5, 2011, the Judge pronounced an acquittal sentence for the individuals involved and for Eni SpA, as the indictments are groundless. On July 3, 2012, the Public Prosecutor filed an appeal against this decision.

(v) Syndial SpA (company incorporating EniChem Agricoltura SpA - Agricoltura SpA in liquidation - EniChem Augusta Industriale Srl - Fosfotec Srl) – Proceeding about the industrial site of Crotone.

A criminal proceeding is pending before the Public Prosecutor of Crotone relating to allegations of
environmental disaster, poisoning of substances used in the food chain and omitted cleanup due to the activity at a landfill site which was taken over by Eni’s subsidiary in 1991 following the divestment of an industrial complex by Montedison (now Edison SpA). The landfill site had been filled with industrial waste from Montedison activities till 1989 and then no additional waste was discharged there. Eni’s subsidiary carried out the cleanup of the landfill in 1999 through 2000. The defendants are certain managers at Eni’s subsidiaries which have owned and managed the landfill since 1991. A technical assessment of the circumstances is pending.

(vi) Eni SpA - Gas & Power Division – Industrial site of Praia a Mare.

Based on complaints filed by certain offended persons, the Public Prosecutor of Paola started an enquiry about alleged diseases related to tumors which those persons contracted on the workplace. Those persons were employees at an industrial complex owned by a Group subsidiary many years ago. On the basis of the findings of independent appraisal reports, in the course of 2009 the Public
Prosecutor resolved that a number of ex-manager of that industrial complex would stand trial. In the preliminary hearing held in November 2010, 189 persons entered the trial as plaintiff; while 107 persons were declared as having been offended by the alleged crime. The plaintiffs have requested that both Eni and Marzotto SpA would bear civil liability. However, compensation for damages suffered by the offended persons has yet to be determined. Upon conclusion of the preliminary hearing, the Public Prosecutor resolved that all defendants would stand trial for culpable manslaughter, culpable injuries, environmental disaster and negligent conduct about safety measures on the workplace. The proceeding is pending.

(vii) Syndial SpA and Versalis SpA - Porto Torres – Prosecuting body: Public Prosecutor of Sassari.

The Public Prosecutor of Sassari (Sardinia) resolved that a number of officers and senior managers of companies engaging in petrochemicals operations at the site of Porto Torres, including the manager responsible for plant operations of the Company’s fully-owned subsidiary Syndial, would stand trial due to allegations of environmental damage and poisoning of water and crops. The Province of Sassari, the Municipality of Porto Torres and other entities have been acting as plaintiffs. The Judge for the Preliminary Hearing admitted as plaintiffs the above mentioned parts, but based on the exceptions issued by Syndial on the lack of connection between the action as plaintiff and the charge, denied that the claimants would act as plaintiff with regard to the serious pathologies related to the existence of poisoning agents in the marine fauna of the industrial port of Porto Torres. The trial before a jurisdictional body of the Italian criminal law which is charged with judging the most serious crimes, was annulled as that jurisdictional body did not recognize the gravity elements justifying its judgment due to a different crime allegation in the notice of conclusion of the preliminary investigation with respect to the crime allegation presented in the request of trial filed by the Public Prosecutor. Thus the proceeding was returned before the Public Prosecutor. The proceeding is pending.

(viii) Syndial SpA and Versalis SpA - Porto Torres dock – Prosecuting body: Public Prosecutor of Sassari.

In July 2012, the Judge for the Preliminary Hearing, following a request of the Public Prosecutor of Sassari, requested the performance of a probationary evidence relating to the functioning of the
hydraulic barrier of Porto Torres site (ran by Syndial SpA) and its capacity to avoid the dispersion of contamination released by the site in the near portion of sea. Syndial SpA and Versalis SpA have been notified that its chief executive officers and other managers are being investigated.

(ix) Syndial SpA – Public Prosecutor of Gela.

An investigation before the Public Prosecutor of Gela is pending regarding a number of former Eni employees. In particular the proceeding involves 17 former managers of the companies ANIC SpA, EniChem SpA, EniChem Anic SpA, Anic Agricoltura SpA, Agip Petroli SpA, and Praoil Aromatici e Raffinazione Srl who were previously in charge of conducting operations and granting security at Clorosoda plant in Gela. The proceeding regards the crimes of culpable manslaughter and grievous bodily harm related to the death of 12 former employees and alleged diseases which those persons may have contracted at the above mentioned plant. Alleged crimes relate to the period from 1969, when operations on Clorosoda plant have commenced, to 1998, when the clean-up activities have terminated. The Public Prosecutor requested the performance of a medico-legal appraisal on over 100
people employed on the above mentioned plant to verify the relation of causality between the deaths occurred and the eventual pathologies affecting these individuals, and the exposures related to the work performed and missing implementation by the relevant company functions of the measures necessary for ensuring the employee health and security in relation to the risks connected with the mentioned working activities.

(x) Seizure of areas located in the Municipalities of Cassano allo Jonio and Cerchiara di Calabria – Prosecuting body: Public Prosecutor of Castrovillari.

Certain areas owned by Eni in the Municipalities of Cassano allo Jonio and Cerchiara di Calabria have been seized by the Judicial authority pending an investigation about an alleged improper handling of industrial waste from the processing of zinc ferrites at the industrial site of Pertusola Sud, which was subsequently shut down, and illegal storing in the seized areas. The circumstances under investigation are the same considered in a criminal action for alleged omitted clean-up which was concluded in 2008 without any negative outcome on part of Eni’s employees. Eni’s subsidiary Syndial SpA has removed any waste materials from the landfills Syndial entered a transaction agreement with the Municipality of Cerchiara to settle all damages caused by the unauthorized landfills to the territory of the Municipality. The Municipality of Cerchiara renounced to all claims in relation to the circumstances investigated in the criminal proceeding. Eni’s subsidiary has also arranged a similar transaction with the Municipality of Cassano. The criminal proceeding is still pending.

1.2 Civil and administrative proceeding

Syndial SpA (former EniChem SpA)

(i) Claim of environmental damages, allegedly caused by industrial activities in the area of Crotone – Prosecuting Bodies: the Council of Ministers, the Ministry for the Environment, the Delegated Commissioner for Environmental Emergency in the Calabria Region and the Calabria Region.

The Council of Ministers, the Ministry for the Environment, the Delegated Commissioner for Environmental Emergency in the Calabria Region and the Calabria Region summoned Syndial before the Civil Court of Milan to obtain a sentence condemning the Eni subsidiary to compensate the environmental damage and clean-up and remediation costs caused by the operations of Pertusola Sud SpA (merged in EniChem, now Syndial) at the Crotone site. This first degree proceeding was generated in January 2008, by the unification of two different actions, the first brought by Calabria Region in October 2004, the second one by the Council of Ministers, the Ministry for the Environment and the Delegated Commissioner for Environmental Emergency in the Calabria Region commenced in February 2006. The environmental claims and clean-up costs amounted to euro 2,720 million which comprised both the Calabria Region claims and the Ministry for the Environment claims. In order to settle the whole matter, in 2008 Syndial decided to take over the remediation activities in the area and on December 5, 2008 filed a comprehensive clean-up project. This project, which was approved in almost its element by the Ministry for the Environment and the Calabria Region, has been considered substantially adequate also by the Court. On February 24, 2012, the Court sentenced Syndial to correctly execute the environmental clean-up of the site and to pay to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry for Environment the sum of euro 56.2 million plus interest charges accrued from the plaintiffs’ claims. Eni accrued an environmental risk provision that is progressively utilized for the clean-up activities.

(ii) Summon for alleged environmental damage caused by DDT pollution in the Lake Maggiore – Prosecuting body: Ministry for the Environment.

In May 2003, the Ministry for the Environment summoned Syndial to obtain a sentence condemning the Eni subsidiary to compensate an alleged environmental damage caused by the activity of the Pieve Vergonte plant in the years 1990 through 1996. With a temporarily executive sentence dated July 3, 2008, the District Court of Turin sentenced the subsidiary Syndial SpA (former EniChem) to compensate environmental damages amounting to euro 1,833.5 million, plus legal interests that accrue from the filing of the decision. Syndial and Eni technical-legal consultants have considered the decision and the amount of the compensation to be without factual and legal basis and have concluded that a negative outcome of this proceeding is unlikely. Particularly, Eni and its subsidiary deem the amount of the environmental damage to be absolutely wholly groundless as the sentence has been considered to lack sufficient elements to support such a material amount of the liability charged to Eni and its subsidiary with respect to the volume of pollutants ascertained by the Italian
Environmental Minister. In July 2009, Syndial filed an appeal against the above mentioned sentence,
and consequently the proceeding would continue before a Second Degree Court. In the hearing of June 15, 2012 before the Second Degree Court of Turin, the Minister for the Environment, formalized trough the Board of State Lawyers its decision to not execute the sentence until a final verdict on the whole matter is reached. The Second Degree Court requested a technical appraisal of the matter which is due to be filed no later than November 15, 2013. Furthermore an administrative proceeding is ongoing regarding certain environmental works to clean-up and make safe the Pieve Vergonte site. Syndial filed an appeal against certain prescriptions of the Ministry for the Environment relating to the modes of executing the clean-up of soil and groundwater and extension of the scope of
work to other nearby areas. The Administrative Court of the Piemonte Region rejected part of the Syndial appeal. A Syndial filed a counterclaim before a higher degree administrative court.

(iii) Action commenced by the Municipality of Carrara for the remediation and reestablishment of previous environmental conditions at the Avenza site and payment of environmental damage.
The Municipality of Carrara commenced an action before the Court of Genova requesting Syndial SpA to remediate and restore previous environmental conditions at the Avenza site and the payment of environmental damage (amounting to euro 139 million), further damages of various types (e.g. damage to the natural beauty of this site) amounting to euro 80 million as well as damages relating to loss of profit and property amounting to approximately euro 16 million. This request is related to an accident that occurred in 1984, as a consequence of which EniChem Agricoltura SpA (later merged into Syndial SpA), at the time owner of the site, carried out safety and remediation works. The Ministry for the Environment joined the action and requested environmental damage payment – from a minimum of euro 53.5 million to a maximum of euro 93.3 million – to be broken down among the various companies that ran the plant in the past. With a sentence of March 2008, the Court of Genova rejected all claims made by the Municipality of Carrara and the Ministry for the Environment. The Second Instance Court too confirmed the decision issued in the first judgment and rejected all the claims made by the plaintiffs. The Ministry for the Environment filed an appeal before a third instance court on the belief that Syndial is to be held responsible for the environmental damage as the Eni subsidiary took over the site form the previous owners assuming all existing liabilities; it was responsible for managing the plant and inadequately remediating the site after the occurrence of an incident in 1984 and for omitted clean-up. Syndial established itself as defendant.

(iv) Ministry for the Environment - Augusta harbor.

The Italian Ministry for the Environment with various administrative acts prescribed companies running plants in the petrochemical site of Priolo to perform safety and environmental remediation works in the Augusta harbor. Companies involved include Eni subsidiaries Versalis, Syndial and Eni Refining & Marketing Division. Pollution has been detected in this area primarily due to a high mercury concentration which is allegedly attributed to the industrial activity of the Priolo petrochemical site. The above mentioned companies opposed said administrative actions, objecting in particular to the way in which remediation works have been designed and modes whereby information on pollutants concentration has been gathered. A number of administrative proceedings were started on this matter, which were reunified before the Regional Administrative Court of Catania. In October 2012, said Court sentenced in favor of the recourses filed by Eni’s subsidiaries against the Ministry prescriptions about the removal of pollutants and the construction of a physical barrier. The Court ruling was based on a sentence filed by the Court of Justice of the European Community. Specifically, the European Court confirmed the EU principle of the liability associated with the environmental damage, while at the same time reaffirming the necessity to ascertain the relation between cause and effect and identify the entity that is actually liable for polluting. It must be noted that the Public Prosecutor of Siracusa commenced a criminal action against unknown persons in order to verify the effective contamination of the Augusta harbor and the risks relating to the
execution of the clean-up project proposed by the Ministry. The technical assessment disposed by the Public Prosecutor generated the following outcomes: (a) no public health risk in the Augusta harbor; (b) absence of any involvement on part of Eni companies in the contamination; and (c) drainages dangerousness. Based on those findings, the Public Prosecutor decided to dismiss the proceeding.

(v) Claim for preventive technical inquiry – Court of Gela.

In February 2012, Eni’s subsidiaries Raffineria di Gela SpA and Syndial SpA and the parent company Eni SpA (involved in this matter through the operations of the Refining & Marketing Division) were notified a claim issued by 18 parents of child born malformed in the Municipality of Gela between 1992 and 2007. The claim for preventive technical inquiry aims at verifying the relation of causality
between the malformation pathologies suffered by the children of the plantiffs and the environmental pollution caused by the Gela site (pollution deriving from the existence and activities at the industrial plants of the Gela refinery and Syndial SpA), quantifying the alleged damages suffered and eventually identifying the terms and conditions to settle the claim. The examination of the claims filed by the plaintiffs confirmed the lack of probatory evidences in the relation of causality. In any case, the same issue was the subject of previous inquiries in a number of proceedings, all resolved without the ascertainment of any illicit behavior on part of Eni or its subsidiaries. A technical appraisal of the matter is pending. Furthermore, 15 more claims were notified to Eni’s subsidiaries on the same matter. Those proceedings are ongoing.

(vi) Environmental claim relating to the Municipality of Cengio – Plaintiffs: the Ministry for the Environment and the Delegated Commissioner for Environmental Emergency in the territory of the Municipality of Cengio.

The Ministry for the Environment and the Delegated Commissioner for Environmental Emergency in the territory of the Municipality of Cengio summoned Eni’s subsidiary Syndial before a Civil Court to obtain a sentence condemning the Eni subsidiary to compensate the environmental damage relating to the site of Cengio. The plaintiffs accused Syndial of negligence in performing the clean-up and remediation of the site. On the contrary, Syndial believes to have executed properly and efficiently the clean-up work in accordance with the framework agreement signed with the involved administrations including the Ministry for the Environment in 2000. On February 6, 2013, a court in Genoa sentenced the resumption of the proceeding and established a technical appraisal to verify the existence of the environmental damage.

(vii) Eni SpA – Reorganization procedure of the airlines companies Volare Group, Volare Airlines and Air Europe – Prosecuting body: Delegated Commissioner.

In March 2009, Eni and its subsidiary Sofid (now Eni Adfin) were notified of a bankruptcy claw back as part of a reorganization procedure filed by the airlines companies Volare Group, Volare Airlines and Air Europe which commenced under the provisions of Ministry of Production Activities, on
November 30, 2004. The request regarded the override of all the payments made by those entities to Eni and Eni Adfin, as Eni agent for the receivables collection, in the year previous to the insolvency declaration from November 30, 2003 to November 29, 2004, for a total estimated amount of euro 46 million plus interest. Eni and Eni Adfin were admitted as defendants. After the conclusion of the investigation, a court ruled against the claims made by the commissioners of the reorganization procedures. The relevant sentence was filed on March 1, 2012. The commissioners filed a counterclaim against the first degree sentence.

(viii) Reorganization procedure of Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane SpA under extraordinary administration.

On January 23, 2013, the Italian airline company Alitalia undergoing a reorganization procedure summoned before the Court of Rome Eni, Exxon Italia and Kuwait Petroleum Italia SpA to obtain a
compensation for alleged damages caused by a presumed anticompetitive behavior on part of the three petroleum companies in the supply of jet fuel in the years 1998 through 2009. The claim was based on a deliberation filed by the Italian Antitrust Authority on June 14, 2006. The antitrust deliberation accused Eni and other five petroleum companies of anticompetitive agreements designed to split the market for jet fuel supplies and blocking the entrance of new players in the years 1998 through 2006. The antitrust findings were substantially endorsed by an administrative court. Alitalia has made a claim against the three petroleum companies jointly and severally presenting two alternative ways to assess the alleged damages. A first assessment of the overall damages amounted to euro 908 million. This was based on the presumption that the anticompetitive agreements among the defendants would have prevented Alitalia from autonomously purchasing supplies of jet fuel in the years when the existence of the anticompetitive agreements were ascertained by the Italian Antitrust Authority and in subsequent years until Alitalia ceased to operate airline activity. Alitalia asserts the incurrence of higher supply costs of jet fuel of euro 777 million excluding interest accrued and other items which add to the lower profitability caused by a reduced competitive position in the marketplace estimated at euro 131 million. An alternative assessment of the overall damage made by Alitalia stands at euro 395 million of which euro 334 million of higher purchase costs for jet fuel and
euro 61 million of lower profitability due to the reduced competitive position on the marketplace.

2. Other judicial or arbitration proceedings

(i) Saipem SpA – CEPAV Uno.

Saipem holds an interest in the CEPAV Uno Consortium (50.36%) which in 1991 signed a contract with TAV SpA (now RFI - Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA) for the construction of a fast-track railway infrastructure for high speed/high capacity trains from Milan to Bologna. An arbitration proceeding has arisen to define certain amounts claimed by the Consortium against the buyer for alleged changes in the scope of work, as the counterparties failed to reach an amicable settlement of the issues. The Arbitration Committee awarded the Consortium an amount of euro 54.253 million that was disbursed by RFI on February 7, 2013. Then, the Consortium filed three further claims amounting to euro 2,108 million to take into account alleged damages, higher costs incurred for changes in the scope of work and other factors in addition to interest accrued and revaluation. In February 2013, the Court of
Rome rejected a recourse filed by RFI against the establishment of the relevant arbitration committees in charge of defining the new claims made by the Consortium.

(ii) Fos Cavaou.

An arbitration proceeding before the International Chamber of Commerce of Paris between the client company Société du Terminal Méthanier Fos Cavaou (now FOSMAX LNG) and the contractor STS – a French consortium participated by Saipem SA (50%), Technimont SpA (49%) and Sofregaz SA
(1%) – is pending. The memorandum filed by FOSMAX LNG supporting the arbitration proceeding claimed the payment of euro 264 million for damage payment, delay penalties and costs incurred for the termination of the works. Approximately euro 142 million of the total amount requested related to loss of profit, which is an item that cannot be compensated based on the existing contractual provisions with the exception of fraudulent and serious culpable behavior. STS filed counterclaim for a total amount of approximately euro 338 million as damage repayment due to the alleged excessive interference of FOSMAX LNG in the execution of the works and payment of extra works not recognized by the client. Both parties filed their memoranda. Management expects the arbitration
proceeding to end the review of the issued by end of 2013 with a final arbitration as early as in 2014.

3. Antitrust, EU Proceedings, Actions of the Authority for Electricity and Gas and of Other Regulatory Authorities

(i) Inquiries in relation to alleged anticompetitive agreements in the area of elastomers – Prosecuting Body: European Commission.

On November 29, 2006, the European Commission ascertaining anticompetitive agreements in the field of BR and ESBR elastomers fined Eni and its subsidiary Polimeri Europa (actually Versalis) for an amount of euro 272.25 million. Eni and its subsidiary filed claims against this decision before the European Court of First Instance in February 2007. The hearings took place in October 2009. On July 13, 2011, the First Instance Court filed the decision to reduce the above mentioned fine to the amount of euro 181.5 million. In particular, the Court annulled the increase of the fine related to the aggravating circumstance of recidivism. The companies involved in the decision and the European Commission filed a claim before the European Court of Justice. In addition the European Commission communicated to the decision to start an inquiry for the determination of a new sanction. The Company filed an appeal against this decision. The Commission communicated to Eni and Versalis the commencement of a new proceeding for a new evaluation of the existence of the requirement for the application of an increased fine based on the aggravating circumstance of recidivism. In August 2007, with respect to the above mentioned decision of the European Commission, Eni submitted a request for a negative ascertainment with the Court of Milan aimed at proving the non-existence of alleged damages suffered by tire BR/SBR manufacturers. The Court of Milan declared the appeal inadmissible. Eni appealed against the Court’s sentence. This appeal is still pending. In December 2012, the First Instance Court of the European Union reduced to euro 106 million the fine imposed to Eni and its subsidiary Polimeri Europa from the original amount of euro 132.16 million sanctioned on December 5, 2007 relating to alleged anticompetitive practices in the in CR elastomers sector, with other chemical companies, in violation of Article 81 of EC Treaty and of Article 53 of SEE agreement. Eni and Versalis have appealed against this decision before the EU
Court of Justice in order to obtain the complete annulment of the economic sanction. Also the European Commission has appealed against the decision.

(ii) Inquiry in relation to gas transportation.

In March 2012, the Italian Antitrust Authority started an inquiry targeting alleged anticompetitive behavior charged to Eni in connection with the refusal to dispose of secondary transport capacity on the Transitgas and TAG pipelines to third parties. On June 1, 2012, Eni filed a proposal of commitments pursuant to Article 14-ter of Law No. 287/1990, aiming at settling the proceeding without the ascertainment of any illicit behavior. On September 6, 2012, the Authority accepted Eni proposal and stated that the commitments were binding.

(iii) Consob investigation - Saipem SpA.

Following the issue by Saipem SpA of its press release of January 29, 2013, in which it revised its 2012 earnings guidance and its outlook for 2013, Saipem received a communication from Consob dated January 31, 2013 asking it to describe the process of evaluation and the considerations that led to the decision to issue the press release in question, to describe the information and data used to arrive at the revision of its guidance for 2012 profits and 2013 revenues and profits and of its forecasts for 2014, and to provide a list of persons included in the register maintained pursuant to
Article 115-bis of the Consolidated Finance Act who had access to the data and information referred to in the press release. Subsequently, in a letter dated February 1, 2013, Consob announced the commencement of an inspection of Saipem pursuant to Article 187-octies, paragraph 3 of Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24, 1998 with the purpose of gathering documents and information regarding the preparation of the press release, the management of privileged information, and compliance with legislation concerning transactions by relevant parties. Subsequently, Consob requested additional information from Saipem in communications of February 8 and 25, 2013, including information concerning the variations between the last business plan approved prior to January 29, 2013 and the new 2013-2016 business plan. Saipem promptly responded to the above communications supplying the documentation and information requested.

4. Court inquiries

(i) EniPower SpA.

In June 2004, the Milan Public Prosecutor commenced inquiries into contracts awarded by Eni’s subsidiary EniPower and on supplies from other companies to EniPower. These inquiries were widely covered by the media. It emerged that illicit payments were made by EniPower suppliers to a manager of EniPower who was immediately dismissed. The Court presented EniPower (commissioning entity) and Snamprogetti (now Saipem SpA) (contractor of engineering and procurement services) with notices of process in accordance with existing laws regulating the administrative responsibility of companies (Legislative Decree No. 231/2001). In accordance with its
transparency and integrity guidelines, Eni took the necessary steps in acting as plaintiff in the expected legal action in order to recover any damage that could have been caused to Eni by the illicit behavior of its suppliers and of their and Eni employees. In the meantime, preliminary investigations have found that both EniPower and Snamprogetti are not to be considered defendants in accordance with existing laws regulating the administrative responsibility of companies (Legislative Decree No. 231/2001). In August 2007, Eni was notified that the Public Prosecutor requested the dismissal of EniPower SpA and Snamprogetti SpA, while the proceeding continues against former employees of these companies and employees and managers of the suppliers under the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. Eni SpA, EniPower and Snamprogetti presented themselves as plaintiffs in the preliminary hearing. In the preliminary hearing related to the main proceeding on April 27, 2009, the Judge for the Preliminary Hearing requested all the parties that have not requested the plea-bargain to
stand in trial, excluding certain defendants as a result of the statute of limitations. During the hearing on March 2, 2010, the Court confirmed the admission as plaintiffs of Eni SpA, EniPower SpA and Saipem SpA against the inquired parts under the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. Further employees of the companies involved were identified as defendants to account for their civil responsibility. After the filing of the pleadings occurred in the hearing of July 12, 2011, the proceeding was postponed to September 20, 2011. In that date the Court of Milan concluded that nine persons were guilty for the above mentioned crimes. In addition, they were condemned jointly and severally to the payment of all damages to be assessed through a dedicated proceeding and to the
reimbursement of the proceeding expenses incurred by the plaintiffs. The Court also resolved to dismiss all the criminal indictments for 7 employees, representing some companies involved as a result of the statute of limitations while the trial ended with an acquittal or 15 individuals. In relation to the companies involved in the proceeding, the Court found that 7 companies are liable based on the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001, imposing a fine and the disgorgement of profit. Eni SpA and its subsidiaries, EniPower and Saipem which took over Snamprogetti, acted as plaintiffs in the proceeding also against the mentioned companies. The Court rejected the position as plaintiffs of the Eni Group companies, reversing a prior decision made by the Court. This decision may have been made probably on the basis of a pronouncement made by a Supreme Court which stated the illegitimacy of the constitution as plaintiffs made against any legal entity which is indicted under the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. The Court filed the ground of the judgment on
December 19, 2011. The condemned parties filed an appeal against the above mentioned decision.

(ii) Trading.

An investigation is pending regarding two former Eni managers who were allegedly bribed by third parties in connection with entering into certain transactions with two oil product trading companies. Within such investigation, on March 10, 2005, the Public Prosecutor of Rome notified Eni of two judicial measures for the seizure of documentation concerning Eni’s transactions with the said companies. Eni is acting as plaintiff in this proceeding. The Judge for the Preliminary Hearing rejected most of the dismissal requests issued by the Public Prosecutor. Basing on the decision of the Judge for the Preliminary Hearing, the Public Prosecutor of Rome notified Eni, as injured part, the summon against two former managers of the Company charged of aggravated fraud related to the relevant patrimonial damage caused to the injured part through the abuse of working relations and activities. The First Judge dismissed the accusation for all the other defendants as a result of the statute of limitations.

(iii) TSKJ Consortium Investigations by U.S., Italian, and other Authorities. Snamprogetti Netherlands BV has a 25% participation in the TSKJ Consortium companies. The remaining participations are held in equal shares of 25% by KBR, Technip, and JGC. Beginning in 1994, the TSKJ Consortium was involved in the construction of natural gas liquefaction facilities at Bonny Island in Nigeria. Snamprogetti SpA, the holding company of Snamprogetti Netherlands BV, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Eni until February 2006, when an agreement was entered into for the sale of Snamprogetti to Saipem SpA and Snamprogetti was merged into Saipem as of October 1, 2008. Eni holds a 43% participation in Saipem. In connection with the sale of Snamprogetti to Saipem, Eni agreed to indemnify Saipem for a variety of matters, including potential losses and charges resulting from the investigations into the TSKJ matter referred to below, even in relation to Snamprogetti subsidiaries. In recent years the proceeding was settled with the U.S. Authorities and certain Nigerian
Authorities, which had been investing into the matter. The proceeding is still pending before Italian judicial Authorities. The proceedings in the U.S.: following an investigation that lasted several years, in 2010 the Department of Justice and the SEC entered into settlements with each of the TSKJ consortium members. In particular, in July 2010, Snamprogetti Netherlands BV entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the DoJ, consented to the filing of a criminal information, and agreed to pay a fine of $240 million. In addition, Snamprogetti Netherlands BV and Eni reached an
agreement with the SEC to resolve the investigation and jointly agreed to pay disgorgement to the SEC of $125 million. All amounts due to the U.S. Authorities were paid by Eni in accordance with the indemnity granted by Eni in connection with its sale of Snamprogetti to Saipem. Following the two-year period set out in the deferred prosecution agreement, in September 2012 the DoJ dismissed the criminal information filed against Snamprogetti Netherlands BV, thereby dismissing the criminal proceeding against Snamprogetti Netherlands BV. The proceedings in Italy: beginning in 2004, the TSKJ matter has prompted investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s office of Milan against unknown persons. Since March 10, 2009, the Company has received requests of exhibition of documents from the Public Prosecutor’s office of Milan. The events under investigation cover the period since 1994 and also concern the period of time subsequent to the June 8, 2001, enactment of Italian Legislative Decree No. 231 concerning the liability of legal entities. On August 12, 2009, a decree issued by the Judge for the Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Milan was served on Eni (and on July 31,
2009 on Saipem SpA, as legal entity incorporating Snamprogetti SpA). The decree set a hearing in Court in relation to a proceeding ex Legislative Decree No. 231 of June 8, 2001 whereby the Public Prosecutor of Milan is investigating Eni SpA and Saipem SpA for liability of legal entities arising from offences involving international corruption charged to former managers of Snamprogetti SpA. The Public Prosecutor of Milan requested Eni SpA and Saipem SpA to be debarred from activities involving – directly or indirectly – any agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp and its subsidiaries. The events referred to the request of precautionary measures of the Public Prosecutor of Milan cover TSKJ Consortium practices during the period from 1995 to 2004. In this regard, the Public Prosecutor claimed the inadequacy and violation of the organizational, management and control model adopted to prevent those offences charged to people subject to direction and supervision. On November 17, 2009, the Judge for the Preliminary Investigations rejected the request of precautionary measures of disqualification filed by the Public Prosecutor of Milan against Eni and Saipem. The Public Prosecutor of Milan appealed the above mentioned decision before the Third Instance Court. The Court decided that the request of precautionary measures be admissible according to Legislative Decree No. 231/2001 even in the case of international corruption. The issue would be subsequently examined by the Appeal Court of Milan. On February 18, 2011, the Public Prosecutor of Milan, with respect to the guarantee payment amounting to euro 24,530,580, even in the interest of Saipem SpA, renounced to contest the decision of rejection of precautionary measures of disqualification for Eni SpA and Saipem SpA issued by the Judge for the Preliminary Hearing. In
the hearing of February 22, 2011, the Re-examination Court, taking note of the above mentioned renounce, declared inadmissible the appeal of the Public Prosecutor of Milan and closed the proceeding related to the request of precautionary measures of disqualification for Eni SpA and Saipem SpA. On November 3, 2010, the defense of Saipem was notified the conclusion of the investigations relating to the proceeding pending before the Court of Milan trough a deed by
which the Court evidenced the alleged violations made by the five former Snamprogetti SpA (now Saipem SpA) and Saipem SpA being the parent company of Snamprogetti. The deed does not involve the Eni Group parent company Eni SpA. The charged crimes involve alleged corruptive events that have occurred in Nigeria after July 31, 2004. It is also stated the aggravating circumstance that Snamprogetti SpA reported a relevant profit (estimated at approximately $65 million). On December 3, 2010, the defense of Saipem was notified the opening of a proceeding with the first hearing scheduled for December 20, 2010. In the hearing of January 26, 2011, the Public Prosecutor requested five former employees of Snamprogetti SpA (now Saipem) and Saipem SpA (as legal entity
incorporating Snamprogetti) to stand trial in the hearing scheduled for April 2011. In the hearing of February 2, 2012, although the term for the occurrence of the statute of limitations for the individuals who are acting as plaintiffs was expired, the Public Prosecutor raised an issue of constitutional legitimacy for the incompatibility between the internal and international legislation on the statute of limitation, in particular the OECD convention on the fight against the international corruption. The Court dismissed the case with respect to the position of the individuals who were acting as plaintiffs for the expiration of the statute of limitations while the proceeding continues for Saipem SpA. In the hearing of July 12, 2012, the Judge reviewed the technical consultants of the defendant and the appraiser reports were filed. After a number of postponements at the final hearing held on February 5, 2013 Saipem defense raised an issue of constitutional legitimacy in relation to certain provisions of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001 relating to the alleged crimes under investigation. In the subsequent hearing of March 26, 2013, the Court of Milan rejected the issues of constitutional legitimacy raised by the Company as they were considered groundless. In the same hearing the Public Prosecutor required Saipem SpA to pay a fine amounting to euro 900,000 and the disgorgement of the guarantee
payment of euro 24,530,580, made by Snamprogetti Netherlands BV to the Public Prosecutor of Milan in February 2011. The hearing was postponed to May 21, 2013 when the Company will present its defensive memorandum. It is worth mentioning that the Board of Directors of Eni and Saipem in 2009 and 2010, respectively, approved new guidelines and anti-corruption policies regulating Eni and Saipem management of the business. The guidelines integrated anticorruption policies of the Company, aligning them to the international best practices, optimizing the compliance system and granting the highest respect of Eni, Saipem and their workers of the Code of Ethics, 231 Model and national and international anti-corruption policies.

(iv) Gas metering.

In May 2007, a seizure order (in respect to certain documentation) was served upon Eni and other Group companies as part of a proceeding brought by the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Milan. The order was also served upon five top managers of the Group companies in addition to third party companies and their top managers. The investigation alleges behavior which breaches Italian Criminal Law, starting from 2003, regarding the use of instruments for measuring gas, the related payments of excise duties and the billing of clients as well as relations with the Supervisory Authorities. The allegation regards, inter alia, the offense contemplated by Legislative Decree of June 8, 2001, No. 231, which establishes the liability of the legal entity for crimes committed by its
employee in the interests of such legal entity, or to its advantage. Accordingly, notice of the commencement of investigations was served upon Eni Group companies (Eni, Snam Rete Gas and Italgas) as well as third party companies. In relation to this proceeding, the Public Prosecutor of Milan requested the dismissal for certain people indicted, including a top manager as the Prosecutor did not find sufficient elements to support the indictment in a possible trial. The request was preceded by a request of dismissal from the principal proceeding of the dismissed people. On January 24, 2012, the Judge for the Preliminary Hearing disposed the dismissal of these people.



Croatian gas metering.

This was a new proceeding part of the principal proceeding describe above. On November 26, 2009, a notice of conclusion of the preliminary investigation was served to Eni’s Group companies whereby 12 Eni employees, also including former employees, are under investigation. The exceptions filed in the notice include: (i) violations pertaining to recognition and payment of the excise on natural gas amounting to euro 20.2 billion; (ii) violations or failure in submitting the annual statement of gas consumption and/or in the annual declarations to be filed with the Duty Authority or the
Authority for Electricity and Gas; and (iii) a related obstacle which has been allegedly posed to the monitoring functions performed by the Authority for Electricity and Gas. In the subsequent hearing of January 24, 2012, the Judge resolved to dismiss the proceeding against all defendants. The Public Prosecutor filed an appeal against this decision before the Third Instance Court. The appeal did not refer to all the defendants but only to some of them. On February 11, 2013, the Court rejected the appeal referred to Eni and its subsidiaries positions in particular: (i) declaring its inadmissibility in relation to one of the defendants; and (ii) dismissing it for all the other alleged crimes. The decision filed by the Judge for Preliminary Hearing is therefore irrevocable.

Gas metering excise.

On December 20, 2010, as a result of a further dismissal of judicial position from the main proceeding, the Public Prosecutor of Milan notified to nine employees and former employees of Eni (in particular belonging to the Gas & Power Division) the conclusion of the investigation related to the crime under the provisions of Article 40 (violations pertaining to recognition and payment of the excise on mineral oils) of Legislative Decree No. 504 of October 26, 1995. The deed also disputed certain violations pertaining to subtraction of taxable amounts and missed payments of excise taxes on natural gas amounting to euro 0.47 billion and euro 1.3 billion, respectively. The Duty Authority of Milan, responsible for the collection of dodged taxes, considering the documentation filed by Eni, reduced the amount initially claimed by the Public Prosecutor to euro 114 million of dodged taxes. The Duty Authority also stated that it would reassess that amount considering further evidence arising from the criminal proceeding. The Judge resolved to dismiss the proceeding against all defendants because the fact did not constitute an offence. The Public Prosecutor filed an appeal against this decision before the Third Instance Court.

(v) Algeria – Corruption investigation.

Authorities in Italy and in other countries are investigating allegations of corrupt payments that would have occurred in Algeria in connection with the award of certain contracts to Saipem. On February 4, 2011, Eni received from the Public Prosecutor of Milan an information request pursuant to Article 248 of the Italian Code of Criminal Procedure. The notification was then forwarded to Eni’s subsidiary Saipem SpA since this matter is primarily in its area of responsibility. The request related to allegations of international corruption and pertained to certain activities performed by Saipem Group companies in Algeria (in particular the contract between Saipem and Sonatrach relating to the construction of the GK3 gas pipeline and the contract between Galsi, Saipem and Technip relating to the engineering of the ground section of a gas pipeline). The crime of international corruption is among the offenses contemplated by Legislative Decree of June 8, 2001, No. 231, relating to corporate responsibility for crimes committed by employees. Saipem promptly began to collect documentation in response to the requests of the Public Prosecutor. The documents were produced on February 16, 2011. Eni also filed documentation relating to the MLE project (in which the Eni’s Exploration & Production Division participates), with respect to which investigations in Algeria are ongoing. On November 22, 2012, the Public Prosecutor of Milan served Saipem a notice stating that it had commenced an investigation for alleged liability of the Company for international corruption in accordance to Article 25, second and third paragraph of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. Furthermore the prosecutor requested the production of certain documents relating to certain activities in Algeria. Subsequently, on November 30, 2012, Saipem was served a notice of seizure, then, on December 18, 2012, a request for documentation and finally, on January 16, 2013, a search warrant was issued, in order to acquire further documentation. On February 7, 2013, on mandate from the Public Prosecutor of Milan, the Italian financial police visited Eni’s headquarters in Rome and San Donato Milanese and executed searches and seized documents relating to Saipem’s activity in Algeria. On the same occasion, Eni was served a notice that an investigation had commenced in accordance with Article 25, third and fourth paragraph of Legislative Decree No. 231/2001 with respect to Eni, Eni’s CEO, Eni’s former CFO, and another senior manager. The investigation relates to alleged corruption which, according to the Public Prosecutor, had occurred with regard to certain contracts awarded to Saipem in Algeria up until March 2010. The former CEO and the former COO of the business unit Engineering & Construction of Saipem, as well as other Saipem employees and former employees are under investigation. Saipem has promptly undertaken management and
administrative changes, irrespective of any liability that might result from the investigations. Saipem has commenced an internal investigation in relation to the contracts in question with the support of external advisors; such internal investigation is conducted in agreement with the statutory bodies deputed to the Company’s control and the Italian Public Prosecutor has been informed of this internal investigation. In addition, Saipem has commenced a review aiming at verifying the correct application of internal procedures and controls relating to anti-corruption and prevention of illicit activities, with the assistance of external consultants. The evaluation is ongoing. Saipem is cooperating with the Italian Judicial Authority. Eni has commenced its own evaluation which is ongoing.

The above mentioned proceeding has been unitized in Italy with another proceeding relating to certain Eni’s activities performed in Iraq and Kazakhstan (see below). Investigations are also ongoing in Algeria where the bank accounts of a Saipem’s subsidiary, Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA, have been blocked by the Algerian Authorities. Currently two bank accounts with a balance equivalent to euro 79 million are blocked as of January 25, 2013. In September 2012, a notice of investigation was served to Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA. Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA is alleged to have taken advantage of the authority or influence of representatives of a government owned industrial and trading company in order to inflate prices in relation to contracts awarded by said company. On January 30, 2013, the Judicial Authority in Algeria ordered Saipem’s Algerian subsidiary to stand trial and reaffirmed the blockage of the above mentioned bank accounts. Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA has lodged an appeal against this decision before the Supreme Court. On March 24, 2013, relevant authorities executed searches on Saipem Contracting Algérie SpA headquarters.

(vi) Libya.

On June 10, 2011, Eni received by the U.S. SEC a formal judicial request of collection and presentation of documents (subpoena) related to Eni’s activity in Libya from 2008 until now. The subpoena is related to an ongoing investigation without further clarifications nor specific alleged violations in connection to "certain illicit payments to Libyan officials" possibly violating the U.S. Foreign Corruption Practice Act. At the end of December 2011, Eni received a request for the collection of further documentation aiming at integrating the subpoena previously received. Documentation and information requested have been collected by the relevant company functions and then forwarded to the U.S. SEC. Following a number of contacts with the U.S. SEC, in a meeting on
October 16, 2012, Eni legal team provided additional documentations and clarifications.

(vii) Iraq – Kazakhstan. A criminal proceeding is pending before the Public Prosecutor of Milan in relation to alleged crimes of international corruption involving Eni’s activities in Kazakhstan regarding the management of the Karachaganak plant and the Kashagan project, as well as handling of assignment procedures of work contracts by Agip KCO. The crime of "international corruption" is sanctioned, in accordance to the Italian criminal code, by Legislative Decree of June 8, 2001, No. 231, which holds legal entities liable for the crimes committed by their employees on their behalf. The Company has filed the documents collected and is fully collaborating with the Public Prosecutor. A number of managers and a former manager are involved in the investigation. The above mentioned proceeding has been reunified with another (the so-called "Iraq proceeding") regarding a parallel proceeding related to Eni’s activities in Iraq, disclosed in the following paragraphs. On June 21, 2011, Eni Zubair SpA and Saipem SpA in Fano (Italy) were notified that a search warrant had been issued to search the offices and homes of certain employees of the Group and of certain third parties. In particular the homes and offices of an employee of Eni Zubair and a manager of Saipem were searched by the authorities. The accusation is of criminal conspiracy and corruption in relation with the activity of Eni Zubair in Iraq and of Saipem in the "Jurassic" project in Kuwait. The Public Prosecutor of Milan has associated Eni Zubair, Eni and Saipem with the accusations as a result of the alleged illicit actions of their employees. Eni considers those employees to have breached the Company's Code of Ethics. The Eni Zubair employee resigned and the Company, accepting the resignation, reserved the right to take action against the individual to defend its interests and subsequently commenced a legal action against the other persons mentioned in the seizure act. Notwithstanding that the Eni Group companies appear to be offended parties in respect of the illicit conduct under investigation, Eni SpA and Saipem SpA also received, at the same time the search warrant was issued, a notification pursuant to the Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. Eni SpA was notified by the Public Prosecutor of a request of extension of the preliminary investigations that has led up to the involvement of another employee as well as other suppliers in the proceeding. Eni performed a review of the whole matter also with the support of an external consulting firm which issued its final appraisal report on July 25, 2012. According to the opinion of its legal team, the Company’s watch structure and Internal Control Committee, Saipem too commenced through its Internal Audit department, an internal review about the project with the support of an external
consultant. The Public Prosecutor of Milan requested Eni SpA to be debarred for one year and six months from performing any industrial activities involving the production sharing contract of 1997 with the Republic of Kazakhstan and in the subsequent administrative or commercial arrangements, or the prosecution of the mentioned activities under the supervision of a commissioner pursuant to Article 15 of the Legislative Decree No. 231/2001. In the hearing of May 29, 2012, Eni legal team have filed a defensive memorandum; on August 1, 2012, the Public Prosecutor filed further documentation supporting the request of precautionary measures. After the hearing of November 14, 2012, the decision of the Judge for Preliminary Investigation is still pending.

5. Tax Proceedings

 

ITALY

(i) Eni SpA.

Dispute for the omitted payment of a municipal tax related to oil platforms located in territorial waters in the Adriatic Sea. With a formal assessment presented in December 1999, the Municipality of Pineto (Teramo) claimed Eni SpA to have omitted payment of a municipal tax on real estate for
the period from 1993 to 1998 on four oil platforms located in the Adriatic Sea which constitute municipal waters. Eni was requested to pay a total of approximately euro 17 million including interest and a fine. Eni filed a counterclaim stating that the sea where the platforms are located is not part of the municipal territory and the tax application as requested by the municipality lacked objective fundamentals. The claim has been accepted in the first two degrees of judgment at the Provincial and Regional Tax Commissions. However, the Supreme Degree Court overturned both judgments, declaring that a municipality can consider requesting a tax on real estate in the sea facing its territory and with the decision of February 2005 sent the proceeding to another section of the Regional Tax Commission in order to judge on the matters of the proceeding. This commission requested an independent consultant to assessing the tax and technical aspects of the matter. The independent consultant confirmed that Eni’s offshore installations lack any ground to be subject to the municipal tax that was claimed by the local municipality. Those findings were accepted by the Regional Tax
Commission with a ruling made on January 19, 2009. On January 25, 2011, the Municipality notified to Eni an appeal to the Supreme Degree Court for the cancellation of the above mentioned sentence. Also on December 28, 2005, the Municipality of Pineto presented similar claims relating to the same Eni platforms for the years 1999 to 2004. The total amount requested was euro 25 million including interest and penalties. Eni filed a claim against this claim which was accepted by the First Degree Judge with a decision of December 4, 2007. Also a second degree court ruled in favor of Eni’s recourses with a sentence filed in June 2012. Terms are pending to file a counterclaim before a third degree court. Similar formal assessments related to Eni oil and gas offshore platforms were presented by the Municipalities of Falconara Marittima, Tortoreto, Pedaso, and also from 2009 the Gela Municipality. The total amounts of those claims were approximately euro 7.5 million. The Company filed appeal against all those claims. A tax commission in Sicily ruled in favor of Eni accepting the recourse against the tax claims presented by the Municipality of Gela.

OUTSIDE ITALY

(i) Eni Angola Production BV.

In 2009, the Ministry of the Finance of Angola, following a fiscal audit, filed a notice of tax assessment for fiscal years 2002 to 2007 in which it claimed the improper deductibility of amortization charges recognized on assets in progress related to the payment of the Petroleum Income Tax that was made by Eni Angola Production BV as co-operator of the Cabinda concession. The Company filed an appeal against this decision. The judgment is still pending before the Supreme Court. Eni accrued a provision with respect to this proceeding.

(ii) Eni’s subsidiary in Indonesia.

A tax proceeding is pending against Eni’s subsidiary Lasmo Sanga Sanga Ltd as the Tax Administration of Indonesia has questioned the application of a tax rate of 10% on the profit earned by the local branch of Eni’s subsidiary for fiscal years 2002 through 2009. Eni’s subsidiary, which is resident in the UK for tax purposes, believes that the 10% tax rate is warranted by the current treaty for the avoidance of double taxation. On the contrary, the Tax Administration of Indonesia has claimed the application of the local tax rate of 20%. The greater taxes due in accordance to the latter rate have been disbursed amounting to $130 million including interest expense. Eni’s subsidiary has filed an appeal claiming the opening of an amicable procedure to settle the matter and avoid bearing a tax regime not in compliance with the UK/Indonesia treaty.

6. Settled legal proceedings

(i) Summon before the Court of Venice for environmental damages allegedly caused to the lagoon of Venice by the Porto Marghera plants. The proceeding was settled due to the transaction agreement incurred between Syndial and the Province of Venice. The amount paid for the settlement of the
proceeding is immaterial.

(ii) Syndial SpA (former EniChem SpA). Alleged pollution caused by the activity of the Mantova plant. Following the transaction agreement incurred in July 2012, between the Ministry for the Environment and Syndial for the repayment of the environmental damage related to the contamination caused by the water discharges of the Mantova plant, the proceeding could be considered virtually settled. The amount paid for the settlement of the proceeding is immaterial.

(iii) Karachaganak. On December 14, 2011, the international companies operating the Karachaganak field, including Eni which co-operates the field, and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a settlement agreement of a contractual claim on cost recovery, including certain tax disputes. In particular, the Kazakh Tax Authorities claimed that Agip Karachaganak BV and Karachaganak Petroleum Operating BV, shareholder and operator of the Karachaganak contract, respectively, omitted payment of income taxes and other tax items for the period 2000-2009. Then, Kazakh Authorities notified a claim on the recovery of expenditures incurred by the operating company in the period 2003-2009. The agreement became effective on June 28, 2012

Assets under concession arrangements

Eni operates under concession arrangements mainly in the Exploration & Production segment and the Refining & Marketing segment. In the Exploration & Production segment contractual clauses governing mineral concessions, licenses and exploration permits regulate the access of Eni to hydrocarbon reserves. Such clauses can differ in each Country. In particular, mineral concessions, licenses and permits are granted by the legal owners and, generally, entered into with government entities, State oil companies and, in some legal contexts, private owners. As a compensation for mineral concessions, Eni pays royalties and taxes in accordance with local tax legislation. Eni sustains all the operation risks and costs related to the exploration and development activities and it is entitled to the productions realized. In Production Sharing Agreement and in buy-back contracts, realized productions are defined on the basis of contractual agreements drawn up with State oil companies which hold the concessions. Such contractual agreements regulate the recovery of costs incurred for the exploration, development and operating activities (cost oil) and give entitlement to the own portion of the realized productions (profit oil). In the Refining & Marketing segment several service stations and other auxiliary assets of the distribution service are located in the motorway areas and they are granted by the motorway concession operators following a public tender for the sub-concession of the supplying of oil products distribution service and other auxiliary services. Such
assets are amortized over the length of the concession (generally, 5 years for Italy). In exchange of the granting of the services described above, Eni provides to the motorway companies fixed and variable royalties on the basis of quantities sold. At the end of the concession period, all non-removable assets are transferred to the grantor of the concession. Assets under concessions relating to natural gas storage in Italy and to the gas distribution of the Gas & Power segment pertained to Snam Group that was deconsolidated following the sale of control.

Environmental regulations

Risks associated with the footprint of Eni’s activities on the environment, health and safety are described in "Financial Review", paragraph "Risk factors and uncertainties". In the future, Eni will sustain significant expenses in relation to compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and for reclaiming, safety and remediation works of areas previously used for industrial production and dismantled sites. In particular, regarding the environmental risk, management does not currently expect any material adverse effect upon Eni’s consolidated financial statements, taking account of ongoing remedial actions, existing insurance policies and the environmental risk provision accrued in the consolidated financial statements. However, management believes that it is possible that Eni may incur material losses and liabilities in future years in connection with environmental matters due to: (i) the possibility of as yet unknown contamination; (ii) the results of the ongoing surveys and the other possible effects of statements required by Legislative Decree No. 152/2006 of the Ministry for the Environment; (iii) new developments in environmental regulation; (iv) the effect of possible technological changes relating to future remediation; and (v) the possibility of litigation and the difficulty of determining Eni’s liability, if any, as against other potentially responsible parties with respect to such litigation and the possible insurance recoveries.

Emission trading

Legislative Decree No. 216 of April 4, 2006 implemented the Emission Trading Directive 2003/87/EC concerning greenhouse gas emissions and Directive 2004/101/EC concerning the use of carbon credits deriving from projects for the reduction of emissions based on the flexible mechanisms devised by the Kyoto Protocol. This European emission trading scheme has been in force since January 1, 2005, and on this matter, on November 27, 2008, the National Committee for Emissions Trading Scheme (Ministry for the Environment-Mse) published the Resolution No. 20/2008 defining emission permits for the 2008-2012 period. Eni was assigned permits corresponding to 122.9 mmtonnes of carbon dioxide (of which, 24.9 in 2008, 24.9 in 2009, 24.6 in 2010, 24.4 in 2011, 24.1 in 2012) and in addition to approximately 3.3 million of permits expected to be assigned with respect to new plants in the five-year period 2008-2012. Emission quotas of new plants include only those physically assigned and recorded in the emissions registry. Emissions of carbon dioxide from Eni’s plants were lower than permits assigned in 2012. Against emissions of carbon dioxide amounted to approximately 22.1 mmtonnes, emission permits amounting to 25.0 million tonnes were assigned (including the permits assigned with respect to new plants), determining a 2.9 mmtonnes surplus not recognized as asset in the balance sheet.