ROME, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Italy's cabinet on Friday passed a decree to keep Europe's biggest steel plant ILVA open while it is being cleaned up, defying magistrates who had ordered the foundry to close because it was an environmental hazard, a government statement said.

Prime Minister Mario Monti was forced to take action after the court in the southern city of Taranto seized the mill's output on Monday, prompting the company to close part of the plant and warn that thousands of jobs were at risk.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer) Keywords: ILVA DECREE/

(steve.scherer@thomsonreuters.com)(+39-06-8522-4369)

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