Bridge across the Strait of Messina and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan

Question for written answer  E-001946/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Vincenzo Sofo (ECR)

For years now there has been talk in Italy of constructing a bridge or tunnel across the strait between Calabria and Sicily, with this being key to the development of southern Italy.

Such an infrastructure project is also becoming key to the completion of one of the strategic corridors (the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor) in the Trans-European TEN-T transport network, which the Commission wants to finalise by 2030.

Funding under the Next Generation EU (NGEU) plan could play a vital role in the implementation of that project, considering that in its answer to a previous question of mine, the Commission explained that completing the entire Italian section of the TEN-T network will require around EUR 150 billion and that under the NGEU plan Italy will be granted over EUR 200 billion.

However, the Italian Government has repeatedly stated that it does not view this project as a priority, to such an extent that it has not included it in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Can the Commission therefore state:

whether it views the construction of a bridge/tunnel across the Strait of Messina as a pre-requisite for completing one of the TEN‑T strategic corridors;

whether it will press the Italian Government to include the construction of such infrastructure in its NRRP?