Italy looks set to meet the February 19 deadline for implementing the European Union's electricity directive and to confound sceptics who doubted the government's ability to respect the timetable. Pierluigi Bersani, the industry minister, is expected to finalise a decree this week that will open up the country's electricity market, presently dominated by Enel, the state corporation. In Italy, electricity deregulation is highly contentious and its organisation has kept politicians, interest groups and official bodies busy since Mr Bersani issued his decree in November.