Silvio Berlusconi will perform community service for his tax fraud conviction at a centre for the elderly, a Milan court has ruled.

The ruling curtails Berlusconi's ability to participate in the upcoming European election campaign - a point of contention among his political allies.

The 77-year-old three-time former premier cannot run due to the conviction, the first against him ever confirmed by Italy's high court, but remains a political force as head of Forza Italia.

The court said that Berlusconi must spend most of his time in the Lombard region, where he lives, but granted permission to travel to Rome from Tuesday to Thursday each week.

Berlusconi was sentenced to four years for tax fraud, with three years shaved off for a general amnesty.

"The decision of the Milan court appears to be balanced and satisfactory with regards to Berlusconi's political activity needs," his lawyers Franco Coppi and Niccolo Ghedini said in a statement.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.