Salvini: "Extremism"

Italy plans to file transit lawsuit by the end of July

Matteo Salvini, Italy's transport minister and deputy prime minister, is certain that he will be vindicated in his complaint to the ECJ.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer, AP, KRONE Kreativ)

In the dispute over the Tyrolean anti-transit measures on the Brenner route, Italy will bring an action against Austria before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the end of July at the latest. Italian Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini (Lega) said this in Rome on Wednesday.

"After years of silence from the EU, which has not lifted a finger for years, Italy is taking Austria to court under Article 259 of the EC Treaty, which is an unprecedented case," Salvini explained at a press conference. And the Transport Minister took the opportunity to once again use heavy verbal weapons: "It is unacceptable that in a Union of 27 countries, one Member State prevents the free movement of goods in other countries not for environmental reasons, but for purely economic reasons. This is disloyal competition on the part of an ideological minority in Austria that is causing chaos and problems".

Salvini confident that lawsuit will go through
If you cause an 80-kilometre traffic jam on the Brenner freeway because of the transit measures, as was the case recently, you cannot do so unpunished. The Italian transport minister was confident that the government in Rome would be successful with its lawsuit.

This is not a conflict between Italy and Austria, but a fight against a pseudo-ecological extremism that is causing great damage in the name of green ideology.

Matteo Salvini

Commission criticizes Tyrolean measures
In mid-May, the EU Commission cleared the way for Italy's complaint in the transit dispute. In a statement, the authority agreed with Italy's criticism in key areas, but refrained from initiating its own infringement proceedings. 

The Commission had quite a few points of criticism ready for the Austrian and Tyrolean measures. Specifically, the night-time driving ban, the sectoral driving ban for "certain rail-related goods", the winter driving ban on Saturdays and the rationing of the entry of heavy goods vehicles onto the highway, i.e. truck block handling or metering, were mentioned. The Brussels authority also recognized some of Austria's arguments.

Tyrol and Austria are not thinking of turning away
Transport and Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) and Tyrol's Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) declared that they remained "open to talks" and also emphasized the necessity and legal conformity of the Tyrolean "emergency measures". Neither the federal government nor the Tyrolean provincial government would consider turning away from these measures. Mattle in particular voiced clear criticism of the Commission's statement.