Italië en Oostenrijk akkoord over tunnel onder de Brennerpas (en)
A bilateral treaty was signed on Friday between Italy and Austria that clears the way to enter the final phase of the rail Brenner Base Tunnel project. "Today is an important date in the development of one of the key priority projects of the Trans-European Transport Network to cross the Alps", said Commission Vice-President Loyola de Palacio.
The Brenner Base Rail Tunnel is one of the 30 priority projects of the Trans-European Transport Network agreed on 21st April by the Parliament and the Council(1). It aims at developing rail and intermodal transport. It consists of a 56 km long tunnel, estimated at a total cost of € 4.5 billion. This infrastructure is an essential element in reversing the mode split road / rail on this most heavily congested alpine crossing.
In the Commission's view, it is particularly important that the treaty sets 2015 for the completion of the project as was set out in the Community guidelines. The treaty signed today defines the works to be undertaken and the cost of the planning phase as well as the equal share of those costs that are not covered by EU subsidies to be borne by the concerned countries. The Community has already granted € 20 million for studies and € 120 million for Austrian and Italian access routes until 2003.
A bilateral project steering committee shall be installed to supervise all the planning procedures and studies. This committee includes national governments, the concerned regions and the European Commission. Its task is to accompany and survey the work of the project promoter.
The project promoter is expected to take the legal form of a European Company. This legal structure will be independent from day-to-day government activities and will open the possibility of third party participation (in particular banks and other private partners).
(1) Decision amending Decision 1692/96/EC on Community guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network