WRITTEN QUESTION E-3151/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 November 2001)

Subject: Mont Blanc tunnel

The Italian and French Transport Ministers have set 15 December 2001 as the date for the reopening of the Mont Blanc tunnel following repairs and announced at the same time that it would reopen for heavy vehicles several weeks later, with traffic running one way and alternating direction between the Mont Blanc and Fréjus tunnels as if they formed one, twin-tubed tunnel, as was reported. This decision has sparked off widespread criticism in the region, albeit for very different reasons.

The two tunnels are on routes, both of which, at the request of Italy and France, form part of the trans-European transport network and are included in the White Paper on Transport. Although this document came out very recently, it is still based on the assumption that traffic will run both ways in the two Alpine tunnels. Given the above, how does the Commission view the recent Italian-French decision in relation to Community law? Does it not consider it more appropriate to agree to the proposal which has the support of a large majority of the population in the Valle d'Aosta to take the necessary measures to ensure stringent restrictions in the volume of TIR traffic?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 January 2002)

The Commission considers that the Mont Blanc tunnel can only be reopened on the basis of safety criteria and when all the safety conditions have been fulfilled. It is not however within the Commission's prerogatives to give it prior approval to re-opening the Mont Blanc tunnel, or to specific traffic rules. The carrying out of studies and projects, as well as the verification of safety and traffic conditions with a view to re-opening the tunnel, remain the exclusive responsibility of the French and Italian national authorities. This is applicable in the case of both heavy and light vehicles.

Assurances as to safety have been given in turn both by the French and the Italian Transport Ministers, namely Mr Gayssot and Mr Lunardi. The conditions for re-opening the tunnel ought to be finalised some time in December 2001.

It is important to emphasise that, in the White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide(1) the Commission announced that it would propose European regulations establishing minimum standards to guarantee a high level of safety for the users of road and rail tunnels. To this end, it will be putting forward a proposal to the Parliament and to the Council at the beginning of 2002. The proposed legislation is likely to cover all aspects of safety, including traffic rules.

The Commission considers that, in order to manage inland transport flows in the Alpine region, particularly in the Mont-Blanc sector, the absolute priority in the medium term is to construct and put into service as soon as possible the two railway lines already identified in the 1996 guidelines(2) for the trans-European transport network, namely the Lyon-Turin link and the Brenner tunnel link. It also advocates an approach to better reflect the costs of each mode of transport in order to facilitate a modal shift of balance in favour of the least polluting modes.

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.

(2) Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.