The European Union on Thursday
included Italy's Messina Bridge project in its Trans-European
Transport Network (TEN-T) programme, the Italian transport
ministry said.
The project has been the talk of many Italian governments but
has never got beyond the planning stage for several reasons
including environmental concerns, fear of mafia infiltration and
the 10 billion euro price tag.
Parliament is in the process of converting into law a decree
passed by Premier Giorgia Meloni's cabinet in mid-March
resurrecting the ambitious plan.
The transport ministry said Thursday: "Excellent news from
Europe, where the Transport Commission on the TEN-T regulation
has rewarded Italy's commitment and seriousness. A green light
has also been given to the amendment to include the Strait
Bridge: an important signal, a victory for our country that
confirms the seriousness of the proposal of Deputy Prime
Minister and (Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure) Minister
Matteo Salvini".
Environmental associations expressed criticism of government
plans to build the bridge linking Calabria and Sicily across the
Strait of Messina during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.
Environmental watchdog Italia Nostra told the the Lower House
environment committee that the project is "the umpteenth white
elephant", adding that investment is instead needed in road and
rail infrastructure in Sicily and Calabria to bring the two
regions into line with the rest of the country.
For its part, WWF put the emphasis on the "extremely high and
unsustainable" environmental cost of the project.
"The entire Strait of Messina area is a protected area" under
the EU Habitats Directive, said WWF Institutional Relations
director Stefano Lenzi.
Non-profit association Kyoto Club, engaged in reaching
international and European greenhouse gas reduction targets,
described the project as "harmful and unnecessary".
"We can't make sense of it from a transportation perspective and
we don't see it as a priority for the country," said vice
president Francesco Ferrante, adding that the money would be
better spent on the current ecological transition.
Salvini, one of the project's strongest proponents, has hailed
the decree as a "historic day for the whole of Italy", saying
the bridge had been "a dream of Italians for centuries".
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