After Whirlpool-owned Embraco's announcement that it is moving a refrigerator compressor factory from northern Italy to Slovakia, Italy's Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda traveled to Brussels to try to halt the relocation, arguing that EU rules give eastern European countries an economic advantage, Euractiv reported Feb. 21. The move will cost 497 Italian jobs and comes just ahead of Italy's March 4 national elections. Business relocations to eastern EU countries have become a rallying point for parties that claim EU policies are hurting Italy's economic growth.