WRITTEN QUESTION E-3428/01 by Giacomo Santini (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Excessive checks on heavy goods vehicles in Austria.
Date: 2001-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, EU control, application of EU law, commercial vehicle, free movement of goods, motorway, traffic control

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/177

The Commission, chaired by Mr Prodi, was confirmed in office by Parliament on 15 September 1999. It
held its first meeting on Saturday 18 September 1999 (No 1446). The last meeting in 2001 was held on
Thursday 20 December 2001 (No 1549).

The Commission, chaired by Mr Prodi, has met 104 times since its confirmation (up to the end of 2001).

Attendance by Commissioners is as follows:

Member of the Commission

Number
of times attended

Romano Prodi, President

Neil Kinnock, Administrative reform

Loyola de Palacio, Relations with the European Parliament, Transport and Energy

Mario Monti, Competition

Franz Fischler, Agriculture and Fisheries

Erkki Liikanen, Entreprise and the Information Society

Frederik Bolkestein, Internal market

Philippe Busquin, Research

Pedro Solbes, Economic and monetary affairs

Poul Nielson, Development and Humanitarian Aid

Günter Verheugen, Enlargement

Christopher Patten, External relations

Pascal Lamy, Trade

David Byrne, Health and Consumer protection

Michel Barnier, Regional policy and, ad personam, Intergovernmental Conference

Viviane Reding, Education and Culture

Michaele Schreyer, Budget

Margot Wallström, Environment

António Vitorino, Justice and Home affairs

Anna Diamantopoulou, Employment and Social Affairs

(1) Last week of December and August.

100

101

97

97

86

98

103

99

103

77

94

72

88

92

101

95

101

88

93

100

(2002/C 147 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3428/01

by Giacomo Santini (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Excessive checks on heavy goods vehicles in Austria

The closure of the Gotthard tunnel on 15 October this year has diverted a large proportion of southbound
heavy and light traffic destined for Austria and Italy. In view of the ongoing environmental and traffic
emergency on the Brenner motorway, the increase in traffic is causing serious concern to the inhabitants
and authorities in the areas through which it passes. This does not justify the obstructive attitude adopted
by the Austrian Government and the Tyrolean police in particular, who are hampering the circulation of
(foreign) heavy goods vehicles at both the entrance to and exit from the Brenner pass. The checks consist

C 147 E/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

in thorough, lengthy and often excessive technical inspections of the vehicles’ mechanical instruments, the
weight borne by each axle, pointless measurements of every detail, checks on the goods carried, etc, etc.

All these formalities constitute a serious waste of time D often delays of several hours D which cause
financial losses and bring traffic to a standstill, in addition to the pollution caused by gas emissions and
vehicle noise. These measures contravene the provisions of the Treaties establishing the Union, which
sanction the free movement of goods, and the provisions of the Accession Treaty signed by Austria. In the
past checks of this kind and the levying of tolls considered to be excessive led the Court of Justice in
Luxembourg to impose heavy sanctions on the Austrian Government and the Land of Tyrol. Does the
Commission intend to take urgent steps to prevent serious damage and ban unacceptable discrimination of
this kind, which infringes the Treaties?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

The Commission is aware of the problem raised by the Honourable Member concerning the considerable
increase in checks on heavy goods vehicles on a stretch of Austria’s Brenner motorway, which is
hampering road traffic.

It is examining the legality of these practices in the light of Council Regulation (EC) No 2679/98 of
7 December 1998 on the functioning of the internal market in relation to the free movement of goods
among the Member States (1).

The Commission intends to ensure that the common rules in this regard are complied with.

(1) OJ L 337, 12.12.1998.

(2002/C 147 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3431/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 December 2001)

Subject: Sand extraction in the Balearic Islands

One of the worst storms ever to hit the Balearic Islands has caused a huge amount of sand to be lost from
the beaches. The Spanish Environment Ministry has announced that sand is to be extracted off the islands’
coastline: specifically, from the sandbanks located off the coast at Banyalbufar (Majorca) and to the north
of Ibiza.

This prospect has provoked alarm amongst scientists and community representatives on the grounds that
the loss of sand which has occurred on certain beaches is a temporary phenomenon: the beaches will
recover in a few months’ time if conditions are at all favourable and if there is no countervailing human
activity. Most of the sand which has disappeared is lying just a short distance off the beach (in the water)
and it will return when the wave pattern is suitable.
that artificial
regeneration is a temporary, expensive and highly damaging solution to the problem. According to
scientists, the various forms of damage include the destruction of demersal communities living in the
sandbanks which are due to be dredged, thereby affecting certain species which are of particular value to
fishermen; drastic changes in the ecological conditions prevailing on the dredged seabed, with the creation
of ridges and hollows and the replacement of the original biological communities by others; the muddying
of the waters in the extraction area, which is detrimental to species which require very clear waters, such
as Posidonia oceanica, and the burial of natural communities in the area in which the sand is to be
deposited, which in certain cases will affect protected flora communities (Posidonia).

It should also be pointed out

In view of the fact that environmental policy consists (as stated in Directive 85/337/EEC (1)) in preventing
damage to the environment rather than remedying it at a later stage, would the Commission say whether
or not it is aware of the project described above? Is it intending to warn the Spanish authorities regarding