Innsbruck (OTS) – With maximum demands on both sides of the Brenner Pass, the status quo is frozen in the transit dispute for the time being. Italy’s transport minister might beat Austria at its own game. Doubly bitter from a Tyrolean point of view.
The reality told may be a bit far removed from the lived one. Today, top officials from Austria, Italy and Germany are meeting with representatives of the EU Commission to finally come a step closer to solving the transit problem along the Brenner corridor. There, in the “trialogue”, behind closed doors, a compromise (in theory) might be explored. One that is currently out of the question on the open political stage between Italy and Austria.
State politics has been drumming for years that the existing list of truck driving bans along the Inntal and Brenner motorways will not be relaxed BEFORE a sustainable and traffic-reducing concept for the redesign of the Brenner transit is on the table. Recently, Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) made this unmistakably clear. On the other hand, Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini (Lega) left no doubts on Wednesday that the driving bans must be lifted BEFORE one thinks of sitting down at a negotiating table.
Salvini speaks for Italy’s freighters and economy, Tyrol wants to protect the population. Both maximum positions cement one thing: the current state of the burner, which is described (by both sides) as unacceptable.
Salvini might therefore use an EU-level infringement procedure coordinated with Germany to increase the pressure on Austria. Whether the same would be initiated by the Commission, let alone lead to Salvini’s success, is another matter. Gewessler and Governor Anton Mattle (VP) are not getting nervous yet. Austria and Tyrol are not on the safe side. And it’s not just regarding Traffic Commissioner Adina Valean. Tyrol has already snubbed this several times.
Rather, in the past, the Air Pollution Control Act was the most powerful weapon used to justify heavy vehicle restrictions in this country in an EU-compliant manner. However, with every year that Tyrol delivers better air values, this weapon becomes duller. Salvini and Co. want to take advantage of this. Austria is to be defeated with its own weapons. Stricter air pollution limits are currently being negotiated at EU level. This can take a while. If Austria does not act faster here – which Gewessler does not intend to do – the Tyrol crumbles away the legal basis for the driving ban.
Salvini’s seed might sprout. And Italy will end up getting the better cards for those negotiations that are to be lifted from the official to the political stage in good time. Merely reaching the end of truck block handling will not be enough for Italy.
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