Minister Matteoli Commissioner Kallas to confirm the priority of the Corridor 1 Berlin-Palermo

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The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteoli, sent to the European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, a letter - which we publish below - stressing that "the European Corridor Berlin-Palermo, the Italian Government priority considering it has never changed his opinion and not modifiable. "

"With regard to the entries that refer to a possible understanding, on a technical level, the European Commission for a replacement of the Berlin-Palermo with a new director of Helsinki-Valletta - Matteoli said - we have been contrasted with our clear opposition to various policy interventions and technicians, the last of which is the letter I sent on September 9 at the European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, with responsibility for Transportation.Therefore, it is true that the respondent by the government there were, as the President of the Regione Siciliana, Raffaele Lombardo, statements or attitudes timid nor that this is the position taken in the wake of public opinion, since it is already inherent to Our political beliefs that are widely shared outside of the current governing majority. "

In recent days, the governor of Sicily Lombardo, alarmed by press reports concerning the ongoing process to change the trans-European transport network TEN-T by shifting 1 Berlin-Palermo corridor from the natural path through Calabria and Sicily to reach, instead, from Malta 'Adriatic, had asked the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, an urgent meeting at the highest levels in which to take a clear position regarding the government's infrastructure necessary for the creation of Corridor 1. Lombardo Berlusconi had asked a clarification of the statements of the Italian vice president of the European Commission, Antonio Tajani, until a few months ago, European Commissioner for Transport, that the proposal to amend the route of Corridor 1 would be the European Commission, but the Italian authorities.

Yesterday, meanwhile, the president of the Sicilian Region has announced that it has written a new letter to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, a month after the first letter of July 13, to solicit his intervention on the link to southern Italy European transport network. "Sicily, Calabria and Basilicata - Lombardo wrote - in danger of being cut off from the draft revision of the transport network, whose remodeling remains much confusion." "The draft revision of the TEN-T presented in late June by the Commission - said the governor of Sicily - proposes the replacement of the Berlin-Palermo corridor with a new director of Helsinki-Valletta, which no longer follows the natural path to the south, from Naples to Bari, but would point to reach, by sea, Malta: an idea which - so far - you do not know the author. "

Lombardo said he was not reassured by the response to the letter of July 13 the President of the European Commission, through the Director General of Transport, which shows that nothing is decided yet and that the comments made by southern regions will be taken into account.That assurance - noted Lombardo - "does not clarify the fate of infrastructure contractors, financed and designed throughout southern Italy to enhance the transport system: ports, airports, rail links and highways that are, along with the bridge over the Strait, the 'only real lever for development throughout the South. " "Unclear" - he added - the position of Minister for Infrastructure, Matteoli, and his deputy, Roberto Castelli, "reaffirmed, under the pressure of public opinion - he explained - that the choices of the past are not discussion. A position is also strongly reiterated by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. "

Lombardo also said that "on August 3, CIPE has completed the financing of infrastructure that make up the framework of" Plan of the South ". But it is also true that recent, more tentative statements of representatives of the national government, the definition of the plan refer to the complex European balance. It is - according to the governor in Sicily - a framework of uncertainty can be dispelled only by the direct intervention of the President of the European Commission: an intervention "policy" to serve as a barrier than a proposal that undermines programs and investments worth billions' .

The President of the Sicilian Region has asked for a ruling to Barroso at the technical meeting scheduled for next Tuesday in the Cabinet of European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, attended by the adviser of the Commissioner for Transport, Desiree Oen, and the Director of TEN-T and strategic investments, Hermann Ruijters. Sicily and Calabria regions will be represented by the Director of European and International Affairs of the Sicilian Region, Francis Attaguile, and the two directors general of the departments of Infrastructure and Transport, and Falgares Lagana. Also present will be representatives of the company Stretto di Messina SpA, the concessionaire responsible for building the bridge over the Strait of Messina, as well as representatives of the Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure as well as the Italian diplomatic representation at the European Commission.



The letter sent to the Minister Matteoli Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, EU September 9 last year.
. Dear Commissioner, should specify the desired of the Italian Government regarding the review process of the TEN-T. Since the beginning of the review phase, a phase proposed by me since October of 2008, both in formal meetings like those in Naples in October 2009 and Zaragoza in May 2010, and through special notes and formal reports submitted attention of the Commission on the Italian side has always stressed the importance of a reaffirmation of the whole TEN-T Priority Projects established in 2004 and still in progress. In particular, with specific note, we reiterated the importance of Corridor 1 (Berlin - Palermo) and its function as a link between the EU and the Mediterranean Basin, stating that:
Dear Commissioner,

should specify the desired of the Italian Government regarding the review process of the TEN-T.

Since the beginning of the review phase, a phase proposed by me since October of 2008, both in formal meetings like those in Naples in October 2009 and Zaragoza in May 2010, and through special notes and formal reports submitted attention of the Commission on the Italian side has always stressed the importance of a reaffirmation of the whole TEN-T Priority Projects established in 2004 and still in progress.

In particular, with specific note, we reiterated the importance of Corridor 1 (Berlin - Palermo) and its function as a link between the EU and the Mediterranean Basin, stating that:

Palermo is the southernmost of the core network node in the entire area of the Mediterranean basin, and then performs the task of connecting remote areas of the continent of Europe (criterion of remoteness);

at the national level, together with Sicily, Sardinia is one of the five macro-regions, NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics Eurostat) and, alone, has more than 5 million inhabitants.The connection between the "big island" and the core network must be ensured at the level expected due to road and rail bridge across the Messina Strait. An intervention that guarantees the territorial continuity on a national and community and where you already have the final design. It is worth remembering that this stable link includes both road and rail axis.

the upgrading of the route Messina - Palermo is fully funded under the Program Agreement of RFI and is in progress (the criterion of accessibility).

along the motorway Salerno - Reggio Calabria are in progress for more than € 7 billion and are the next start the effort to bring the rail network always in that section.

Therefore, confirmation of the validity and the strategic role of the Corridor 1 (Berlin - Palermo) was, and remains invariant for Italy that we can not in any way not to find among the cornerstones of the entire "core network".

To avoid misunderstandings, clear also that the connection Napoli - Bari had been referred to as the integrated antenna segment Corridor 1 to allow a possible link with the Corridor 8 (Bari - Durres - Varna).Inclusion but should not in any way compromising the simplicity and organic nature of the connection Berlin - Palermo.

Therefore, as already pointed out by me in a forwarded my note to you in July of this year, the Multimodal Corridor "Helsinki - Valletta", should necessarily contain the entire evolution of the corridor Berlin - Palermo and Naples, the interpretation of the extension - Bari, as an alternative to the segment Naples - Palermo, not in any way shared by the Italian government and Italian representatives of every political orientation in the European Parliament.

With the assurance of my highest consideration,

Matteoli