Alpine tunnel tops summit agenda

Amato will press for the re-opening of the Mont Blanc road tunnel

TURIN, Italy -- Plans for an ambitious trans-Alpine railway are expected to top the agenda at the annual meeting of Italian and French leaders on Monday.

France wants the go-ahead for a high-speed rail link between Lyon, in southeast France, and the northern Italian city of Turin, which would involve burrowing a 52-kilometre (32-mile) tunnel under the Alps.

That is two kilometres (one and a quarter miles) longer than the Channel Tunnel that runs under the English Channel to link Britain and France.

Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato, his French counterpart Lionel Jospin and President Jacques Chirac of France are taking part in the Italian-French summit, in Turin.

For its part, Italy will urge France to set a date for the re-opening of the Mont Blanc road tunnel, which was shut in March 1999 when a fire left 39 people dead, trapped in cars and lorries.

The leaders are expected to discuss the status of repair work. French officials have hinted the tunnel could be back in action by the end of the year.

Improving transport links across the Alps is essential for Italy as around 50 percent of its imports and exports have to pass through the mountain chain.

France wants to see more goods shifted as rail freight to cut traffic on its roads. Around 75 per cent of freight in the country is currently carried by lorries -- up from 50 per cent 30 years ago.

Chirac is hoping for the green light from Italy for the tunnel project

The Turin-Lyon track, a key link in a planned network of high-speed railways across Europe, would cost an estimated 21 trillion lire ($10 billion).

Busloads of people from mountain towns and villages, affected by the proposed tunnel, are expected to hold a demonstration outside the former royal palace in Turin where the talks are being held.

The Italian and French governments have yet to agree whether the project should be financed solely with public money or as a public-private initiative.

The Italian government has accused Paris of prevaricating on a date for the Mont Blanc tunnel reopening to force a decision over the high-speed link.

"Obstinacy has to be met with obstinacy," Italian Public Works Minister Nerio Nesi was quoted in weekend Italian newspapers as saying.

"The French have said they want a decision on Turin-Lyon otherwise they won't let us through Mont Blanc."

The mad cow crisis is also likely to feature on the summit agenda.

With BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) reported in both countries, the leaders were expected to touch upon proposals to step up testing of cattle and the banning of meat on the bone.

Italian newspapers said Italy would suggest cutting the age of cattle to be tested from 30 months to 20 months at Monday's meeting of farm ministers in Brussels.

Among other topics up for discussion are the future of the European Union after the December Nice summit on the reform of institutions ahead of expanding the 15-member group.

Italian Foreign Ministry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the new U.S. administration under President George W. Bush also would be discussed.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

Mont Blanc fire extinguished: at least 35 dead
March 26, 1999
France urges better beef labelling
January 25, 2001
Mad Cow frenzy strikes Italy
January 17, 2001
Italy lifts ban on French cattle
January 12, 2001
EU deal paves expansion path
December 11, 2000

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