Italy asks EC to file case against Austria before EU top court for ‘anti-transit measures’ in Tyrol

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Italy asked the European Commission on Thursday to file a case against Austria before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for what it described as anti-transit measures on the Brenner route in the Tyrol region.

Last October, the Italian government decided to take legal action against Austria for anti-transit measures in the Austrian province.

"As promised, we have turned words into deeds in the matter of transit, for the first time in Italian history," Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told Austrian public broadcaster ORF on Thursday, referring to a formal letter sent to the European Commission to initiate the case against Austria.

Italy accuses Austria of violating the principle of the free movement of goods with its anti-transit regulations.

However, Anton Mattle, head of the Tyrolean government, points out that truck traffic on the Brenner route in Tyrol has increased significantly in recent decades, with the number of trucks increasing from 1.1 million in 2000 to 2.5 million last year.

Last year, the Tyrol administration responded to these burdens with a truck metering system, a so-called slot processing system in place of block processing, and truck driving bans on weekends and at night.

Austrian Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler of the Green Party explained the reasons for the measures, saying "The Tyrolean emergency measures only exist because the people there are suffering from unbearable conditions. Traffic jams, noise, and bad air -- that is the bitter reality for the Tyroleans along the Brenner route."

The Alpine region is one of the most intensively used ecosystems in the world and the dense road and rail networks in the sometimes very narrow valleys place an enormous burden on the environment.

For years, the Austrian Environmental Umbrella Organization has advocated for the shift of freight transport from road to rail.

According to EU Commission regulations, the bloc must file a case against Austria within three months. Otherwise, the complainant has the right to go directly to court.