Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan met with the Tuscan lender's top executives on Tuesday to start discussing the business plan.

"The ECB will need to assess the validity of the plan in relation to the need to strengthen the bank's capital," the Treasury said.

The EU Commission will also need to examine the plan to make sure it complies with EU rules on state aid, it added.

(Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Isla Binnie)