Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg harshly criticized Italy after the country decided to take Austria’s Alpine traffic restrictions to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Taking legal action is certainly the wrong approach,” Schallenberg said today, addressing Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. (Iconic photo) / Photo: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Schallenberg made the comments on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and spoke directly to Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, ORF reported. “Legal action is certainly the wrong approach,” Schallenberg said, stressing that crossing the Alps would place an extraordinary burden on the federal state of Tyrol compared to crossing other countries.
Italy’s complaint has already been sent to the EU Commission and seeks EU infringement proceedings against Austria due to Tyrol’s measures to contain and direct road traffic. Schallenberg argues that the preference for Tyrol-bound trucks because of their lower cost compared to the Swiss Pass is inconsistent with sustainability and climate considerations. “If trucks are detouring hundreds of kilometers to Tyrol simply because it’s cheaper, there’s no reason they should continue to do so,” Schallenberg said.
The Austrian federal government considers itself in the right and defends the measures taken. First and foremost, because of the election campaign that has begun, the government wants to position itself on the basis of South Tyrol, as reported by Vindobona.org. The EU Commission currently has three months to take a decision on the infringement case and issue a statement. Once a lawsuit is initiated, Austria will be allowed to respond.
As NÖN reported, traffic disputes do not only concern Austria and Italy. Germany is also heavily involved as a major transport origin and destination. Schallenberg also used the meeting in Munich to discuss transport issues with Bavarian Chancellor Markus Söder and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU). Last April, the Mayors of Bavaria, Tyrol and South Tyrol, Mr. Söder (CSU), Mr. Anton Matl (ÖVP) and Mr. Arno Kompatcher (SVP), announced the launch of digital cross-border traffic management. proposed a “slot system” for All members are from the same party family. However, implementation requires an international treaty between Austria, Germany and Italy. The current conflict highlights the complexity and European dimension of transport issues that require a consensus solution.
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