In April, the agreement of the three regions involved provided new hope in the dispute over freight traffic on the Brenner route. Since then, little has been heard to indicate a quick end. Or is it?
After the agreement between Bavaria, Tyrol and South Tyrol to relieve the Brenner route in April, the next step towards solving the ongoing dispute may now be in the offing.
Germany, Austria and Italy are asking the EU Commission to invite ministers to a meeting by July, as Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing said after a meeting with his EU counterparts. “The upcoming talks are a real light at the end of the tunnel,” emphasized the FDP politician. But many points are still open and there is no final agreement at state level – important questions and answers on the burner dispute:
What do the Brenner regions of Bavaria, Tyrol and South Tyrol want?
The three direct neighbors of the Brenner route across the Alps – Bavaria, Tyrol and South Tyrol – spoke out in April for the introduction of a digital traffic management system for freight traffic. Trucks should be obliged to book certain time windows (slots) for the route over the important Alpine pass. The aim is to equalize traffic, avoid traffic jams and protect residents in the affected regions from the consequences of traffic.
What is the problem with the implementation of the compromise solution?
Ultimately, the legal basis should be an intergovernmental agreement between Italy, Austria and Germany. The extent to which this could be further advanced is an open question. “So far, however, we have not received an answer to our proposals from either Berlin or Brussels. I am pleased that all three national states now want to meet at ministerial level,” said Bavaria’s Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter (CSU) of the German Press Agency.
What does the federal government say about the trilateral compromise proposal?
According to a report from the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Wissing is rather skeptical about him. Although the Federal Ministry of Transport welcomes “every agreement that brings about an actual improvement in the difficult traffic situation on the Brenner Pass”, the free movement of goods must actually and sustainably be improved. “Systems that continue block processing using digitization do not change the principle of quota allocation.”
What say Austria and Italy?
Austria’s Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler has reportedly expressed support for a slot system. On the other hand, her Italian colleague Matteo Salvini was quoted as saying that he would not even discuss the slot system as long as Austria and Tyrol did not end block processing.
What do the affected forwarders and transit opponents say?
In principle, the State Association of Bavarian Freight Forwarders supports the slot system, but sees many unanswered questions. For example, what happens if a time corridor cannot be reached through no fault of your own due to traffic jams or accidents. Tyrolean transit opponents, on the other hand, fear that the traffic load will increase. Truck traffic on the Brenner route has increased significantly in recent decades – in 2022 there were 2.5 million trucks and thus 40 percent of the entire Alpine transit in freight traffic.
Are other solutions on the table?
Not yet. All the variants discussed in the past, such as a generally higher burner toll, subsequently disappeared as less effective solutions. The block handling currently being promoted by Tyrol – and subsequently also by Bavaria – in certain regions is generally considered not to be a sustainable solution. The logistics industry in particular is critical of the traffic jams at the borders, some of which are dozens of kilometers long.
What about the threatened lawsuit against block handling?
Even if politicians like the CSU MEP Markus Ferber repeatedly raise the issue of the lawsuit, implementation is currently unlikely. This could only be submitted by the Federal Government or the EU Commission. The desired quick solution would therefore be a long way off. “We rely on compromises, the alternative of a lawsuit is slower and less sustainable,” emphasized Bernreiter. According to the ADAC, the next block handling is planned for Saturday (June 3rd).
Source: Stern
