TRIESTE – The tender procedure for the concession of the Brenner Motorway, launched on 31 December 2024, has been “extended” by two days by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
By decision of the Director General, applications for participation must therefore be submitted by 12:00 p.m. tomorrow, 3 December. «There is satisfaction, because the reopening was requested and expected by our territories — Trento and Bolzano down to Modena. Moreover, the tender has no challenges pending, there are no appeals, because those that existed are no longer active. So this is the decision we expected from the Ministry» commented the president of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Maurizio Fugatti.
«We thank the ministry’s offices and Minister Salvini for this decision and now we believe we can proceed as established. This is a major message of confidence for the process we had set in motion and for our concession. Autostrada del Brennero has done what it had to do; perhaps some figures will need updating, but the 10-billion-euro plan already submitted remains valid» Fugatti added.
Another comment comes from the president of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Arno Kompatscher: «The decision by the Ministry of Economy is absolutely appropriate, and we have repeatedly pointed out in recent weeks that not only are there no ongoing disputes regarding the published tender, but there is also no risk of appeals at this stage because the deadlines have already expired. It is not true that the European Union criticised the right of pre-emption in itself, but rather its reference to the public procurement code and not to the special law governing the A22 tender. Regarding the procurement code, the EU criticised the alleged lack of transparency in the initial phase of a tender with a pre-emption right. In our case, transparency was fully ensured, because the very law establishing this tender defines the criteria by which the proponent — who then holds the pre-emption right — is selected. This is precisely the issue the EU raises with respect to the procurement code, because it would not provide for transparency in the criteria. In our case, it does. And I am convinced that these arguments ultimately led the minister and the ministry’s technical staff to decide to proceed with the tender».
A few days ago, the consumer association Codacons sent MIT a request for self-annulment, along with a series of complaints. The association recalls that already in May, the European Commission had raised serious doubts about the compatibility of the pre-emption clause that the Ministry intends to use to award the concession to A22.
