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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8093
Contents Publication in full By article 34 / 41
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) ep/transport

Priority for tunnel safety

Strasbourg, 16/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the EP called for lessons to be drawn from the disaster of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, and, on 24 October, from that of St. Gothard, to strengthen the safety of tunnels in Europe. It calls on the European Commission to submit the directive already announced concerning the minimum harmonisation of road and rail tunnels and to see to its rapid adoption and implementation. In addition, it places emphasis on the need to implement an integrated transport policy for the whole of the Apline region and encourage measures aimed at ensuring safety in all tunnels which, "under the Alps and Pyrennes", connect the north and south of Europe. Furthermore, it regards as necessary: - providing for more binding measures for heavy goods vehicles carrying hazardous matter; - providing for strict control on driving hours. Even good legislative proposals will have no effect if not implemented, said Anna Diamantopoulou, for her part, recalling that the affair of the techograph that has to allow for the real working time of HGV drivers to be calculated, but that certain Member States do not really like it. The Commissioner for Social Affairs also denounced the delays in certain projects in the field of the major trans-European transport networks, although approved by the European Council of Essen in December 1994, like the Lyon-Turin rail route.

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