92001E3143

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3143/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Council

(8 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 Council 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 majority of the population in the Valle d'Aosta to take the necessary measures to ensure stringent restrictions in the volume of TIR traffic?

Reply

(18 February 2002)

1. Bearing in mind the series of tragic accidents in tunnels in the last few years, of which the recent accident in the Gotthard Tunnel is yet another instance, the Council is fully aware of the importance of safety in road and rail tunnels. Indeed, this is one of the priorities of the common transport policy.

In its transport configuration on 17 June 1999 the Council responded to the explicit request from the Cologne European Council meeting on 3 and 4 June 1999 by asking the Commission to submit legislative proposals for promoting safety in tunnels. As can be seen from the White Paper entitled European transport policy for 2010: time to decide, the Commission is planning to submit a legislative proposal in the near future for ensuring a high level of safety in road and rail tunnels. The proposal should cover all aspects of tunnel safety, and the Council intends to deal with it promptly, taking due account of the wishes expressed by the European Parliament in its resolution of 15 November 2001 on the Gotthard Tunnel disaster.

2. Referring specifically to the questions raised by the Honourable Member, the Council would point out that the decision on reopening the Mont Blanc tunnel as with any decision on regulating heavy vehicle traffic along the lines mentioned by the Honourable Member is more a matter for the national authorities, and reflects a desire to ensure that, for the time being, people and goods can move freely under conditions of safety.