12/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - Lyon-Turin railway tunnel. The French and Italian committees responsible for the completion of the cross-border Lyon-Turin railway tunnel have urged France and Italy to respond as soon and as favourably as possible to the call for proposals launched by the European Commission on 11 September to fund transport infrastructure (€11.9 billion - see EUROPE 11152). The Transalpine Link Committee (Comité pour la Transalpine) and its Italian opposite number argue that “Europe is giving France and Italy an exceptional funding opportunity which they should now seize” (our translation). The committees, which are well aware of the constraints on public finances for both countries, call on the two states to take part in the call for projects and to “clarify the arrangements of the operation and its financing plan”. Europe could invest an amount equivalent to 40% of the costs of the project (€3.4 billion), with 35% (€2.9 billion) coming from Italy and 25% (€2.2 billion) from France. (MD)