Brenner, Salvini’s impasse with Austria: “More controls, the EU will agree with us”

The political tug of war between Italy and Austria is still intense, regarding the limitations on heavy vehicle traffic on the Brenner Pass imposed by the Vienna government. An initiative adopted for environmental protection reasons (contradicted, however, by the impact that long queues and inconveniences still create) and which the Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini has always contested. Yesterday, he arrived right at the Brenner Pass and announced an imminent Italian initiative. «After years of conversations, tables, wasted time – he said clearly – that Austria does not want to solve the problem creating environmental, economic, labor and social damage for Italy, for Alto Adige, for the rest of the world. Europe”. Therefore, added Salvini, «for the first time in history the Italian Government will appeal to the European Court of Justice to ask for an end to an illegitimate and arrogant act, which brings pollution, traffic, chaos and economic disparity between businessmen and transporters, Italians , Germans, Europeans in relation to the Austrians”. And Salvini explained: «I am convinced that the Court will agree with us, because that is what the law says. From Vienna there is a clear violation of international treaties on the free movement of men and vehicles. “

Furthermore, speaking at the Bolzano stage of «L’Italia del yes», Salvini stated, alluding to Ursula von der Leyen: «I don’t understand why the president of the European Commission never moved, perhaps due to the party’s proximity to her Austrian allies». Furthermore, the Minister of Transport seems to want to prefigure a kind of reciprocity movement. “I wouldn’t like it if we were forced to check every vehicle coming from Austria. I will speak to the Minister of the Interior who has the power to increase inspection of those entering Italy, to check the maintenance and regularity of vehicles,” he said. Furthermore, Salvini’s initiative received approval from the road transport category. “We decided to stand by the minister because for the first time more and more decisive steps are being taken forward compared to the rivers of ink pointlessly spilled by previous governments in letters to Europe”, declared Paolo Uggè, President of FAI – Transport. Cna-Fita of Trentino Alto Adige, for its part, noted: «Our companies are no longer able to bear the costs and the very serious inconveniences caused by the bans on the circulation of heavy vehicles imposed by Land Tyrol». And, once again, they underlined from the acronym: «Almost 2.9 million heavy vehicles, of which 980 thousand Italians, are subject to the bans. Taking into account that a vehicle passes through the Brenner on average 4 times a month for 48 times a year, we can quantify the annual damage at 168,000 euros in increased costs for a small company and 310,000 euros per year for a medium-sized company. In total, 251 million euros are lost per year for Italian companies with heavy vehicles. In the period 2018-2022, damage amounts to 1.25 billion euros. Considering the damage to the supply chain, the economic impact in Italy amounts to 1.8 billion euros over 5 years.” Therefore, a very strong impact on the sector.

Salvini’s announcement of his desire to appeal to the European Court of Justice constitutes a new acceleration after 11 July, when the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, during a meeting of the European Executive, announced to her colleagues that they are being prepared infringement proceedings against countries that apply restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles on their territory. Austria, specifically, would be the recipient of the initiative.

Source: IL Tempo

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