The Alpine region, which is extremely sensitive from the environmental
and economic points of view, is a natural barrier that must be
breached in order to ensure the indispensable connection to other
European countries.
The attention threshold at the national and Community levels in
this regard is particularly high. The White Paper on common transport
policy for 2010 recognises the necessity to find definitive solutions
that will make it possible to set up alternatives to road transport
and to ensure full and free circulation of goods and persons,
which concept is at the heart of the internal market and of the
Rome Treaty.
The current situation is extremely difficult. Natural obstacles
are aggravated by the presence of administrative restraints, contingency
measures and infrastructural delays.
The current "border-crossing emergency" risks becoming
structural, with serious consequences in terms of increased transport
costs for our companies and subsequent loss of competitiveness.
Italy's policy in the matter of the alpine border crossings is
based on these premises and frames the issue in terms of the free
circulation and of the completion of the internal market.
Within this context, the implementation of the cross-border projects
of common interest, such as the basic Brennero tunnel, the Turin-Lyons
railway line, and the motorways of the sea are particularly vital.
The final objective is to re-launch the initiatives intended to
increase the potential of the infrastructure and to develop an
efficient and integrated European transport network (TEN-T). The
goal is quality, sustainability, security and a proper balance
between the various means of transport, so that the internal market
is fully realised and in order to guarantee equal conditions of
access to all Member States within an enlarged Europe.
