Chunnel cuts ice
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HANNEL TUNNEL is an indispensable symbol of Europe which have to be built, European Parliament transport committee irman Horst Seefeld said in London last week.
r Seefeld, who was in Britain talks with Transport SecreNorman Fowler, the House ommons transport commitand other ministers and stressed later that the EEC a create symbols to show Europe exists.
\ Channel Tunnel would resent a political breakugh, and it could then be n as a starting point from eh other transport projects Id stem."
r Seefeld was critical of the 's lack of progress towards a imon transport policy, and I that while transport acnts for six per cent of the nmunity's gross national duct — more than agriculture 5 per cent of total capital )stment, and 40 per cent of lic sector capital investment, ;hare of the budget is disapitingly low. Whereas agriculture got 70 per cent of the Community budget, transport's share this year was 0.003 per cent. Mr Seefeld told the House of Commons transport committee: "You may feel that at least things can't get worse. But let me warn you against any such optimism, for things have ben getting steadily worse for some years."
He told journalists later that Transport Secretary Norman Fowler had promised his full support in moving towards a common policy when he assumes presidency of the Council of Transport Ministers in July.
And Mr Seefeld's vice-chairman, British MEP Dame Shelagh Roberts, added: "You cannot have an ecomomic community without a transport policy. Transport at present gets an absurdly low share of the budget."
On the Channel Tunnel, Mr Seefeld said this would bring Europe closer to Britain, and would close one of the bottlenecks in the Community's transport system. He said it was a nonsense to have free movement in Europe if border checks cause hold-ups.
He was adamant that a tunnel would be in the interests of the Community as a whole, and the EEC should therefore take part in the project.
Similarly, he emphasised the need for EEC involvement in eliminating bottlenecks outside the Community, where it is in the Community interest, He instanced Austria where 95 per cent of its hgv traffic is going to or from the EEC: "We cannot help but provide help here."
SWANSEA COUNCIL has received enquiries from more than 200 companies — including several in transport and distribution — interested in setting up in the city's proposed Enterprise Zone.