EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PLENARY DEBATES BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE
On 16 December a debate was held at the Plenary session of the European Parliament on barriers to international trade within the European Union. At the initiative of the IMCO committee, MEPs wanted to draw the attention of the European Commission on measures introduced by Member States such as border restrictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and driving bans for environmental purposes disrupting traffic along the Brenner Pass.
Transport Commissioner Adina Valean emphasised the importance of the ‘Green Lanes’ principle which is essential to ensure the flow of goods throughout Europe. However, specific restrictions may be justified under the Treaties, for environmental or sanitary reasons, provided that these measures are proportionate and non-discriminatory. Commissioner Valean added that the Commission retains the right to launch infringement procedures in case these requirements are not fulfilled.
A number of MEPs noted that unilateral restrictions imposed by Member States affect the free movement of goods, one of the core principles of the EU. Several MEPs such as Andreas Schwab (EPP, Germany), Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy) or Marco Campomenosi (ID, Italy) criticised the further tightening of restrictions in the Tyrol region, with the implementation of a night driving ban for HDVs since 1st January 2021 creating bottlenecks along the Brenner Pass. They argued that Austria is only displacing the issue of poor air quality to other countries, with trucks queuing for more than 70 km in Germany and Italy. Barbara Thaler (EPP, Austria) recalled that the Tyrol region took this decision to protect the health of the region’s inhabitants. As a long-term solution, she noted that transport of goods should shift from road to rail along the Brenner Pass.
In her concluding remarks Commissioner Valean noted that the Commission has been successful in convincing Member States to lift COVID border restrictions at the beginning of the pandemic, with the implementation of Green corridors and the use of digitalised documents, but recognised that efforts are still needed to remove bottlenecks in certain regions. She acknowledged that driving bans on the Brenner Pass displacing the problem to other regions are not acceptable and announced that the Commission will relaunch discussions at government level with Austria, Germany, and Italy to solve the issue.