The Italian government and EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn signed an action plan aimed at speeding up work on the renovation of the archaeological site in the ancient city of Pompeii, which has been seriously damaged.
The Italian daily Stampa announced that according to the new plan, the renovation should be completed by the end of 2015.
"It is really urgent to speed up and intensify our efforts. That archaeological site is crucial for the Campania region, for its local economy, for Italy and for the whole world," Hahn said on Thursday.
A budget of 105 million euros is planned for the renovation of Pompeii, of which 41,8 million will be provided by Brussels.
Han warned the Italian government that it should respect the deadline for the completion of the works, because otherwise the European funds will be lost.
A new team of experts was formed to renovate one of the most famous archaeological sites. The general director of the Pompeii renovation project, Giovanni Nistri, said that work will also be done at night, if necessary.
In the last few years, old buildings have collapsed in Pompeii on several occasions.
In December 2011, a pillar of a house collapsed, and in September 2012, a beam of the famous Mystery Villa collapsed.
The city of Pompeii, near today's Naples, was founded in the 6th century BC.
It was destroyed in 79 AD in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in which thousands of people died. The city was buried by the ash of the volcano, so Pompeii remained preserved, under a thick layer of ash.
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