Renzi: Eni Share Sale Depends on Market

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Monday that sales of shares in state-controlled oil producer Eni would depend on market conditions, while he confirmed that next year the postal service will be partially privatised.

"It's not a privatisation but a giveaway if state assets are sold when the market is not favourable," Renzi told reporters at an end-year press conference. "Personally I believe that a further privatisation of Eni must be decided in light of market conditions."

Earlier this year Italy announced plans to sell a 5 percent stake in electricity supplier Enel and a roughly 4 percent stake in Eni this year as part of a privatisation drive aimed at reducing a public debt. No shares in either were sold amid market volatility. Eni shares have dropped as oil prices declined. (Reporting by Steve Scherer