Brussels, 14/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - After France and Belgium, the European Commission contacted the authorities of the Netherlands to inquire into possible obstacles to the free movement of goods on the Netherlands national territory. "We sent them a fax on Wednesday evening for information on blockades on the A76 motorway north of Liège", at the Belgian-Dutch border, said the spokesman for the European Commissioner for the Internal Market on Thursday. The Netherlands has 24 hours in which to give its response. The European executive could then proceed to a more formal warning, according to procedure provided for in the "rapid intervention mechanism" for the free movement of goods, established end 1998 in the European Union (see EUROPE of 8 September, p.7).
Regarding the similar request for information sent on Tuesday evening to Belgium (see yesterday's EUROPE), the spokesman's service pointed out that the Belgian authorities have been very cooperative. Very full information has been received on current obstacles in various parts of the country, mainly near the borders. Indications as to where the blockades are set up have been diffused by the Belgian policy, on an Internet site, updated every two minutes, he specified. He added that they shall be examining this response, as well as complementary information that Belgium promised to send on Thursday.