September 3, 2010
From various wire reports
The TASR newswire service reported that Slovakia's Transport Minister Jan Figel will not extend the deadline for obtaining finances for a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme to build the first phase of the D1 motorway.
Speaking at a press conference on September 2, Figel claimed not to have seen a signed contract by August 30, thus it expired. "I decided not to extend this process anymore, as the ministry has no guarantee that the first package will be covered financially," Figel said.
The EUR 9 billion project proposal had been delayed for months because of uncertainties about European Investment Bank (EIB) participation, and the announcement of its cancellation pleased a number of environmental and civil society groups, including Friends of the Earth CEPA (Slovakia) and the CEE Bankwatch network. Both groups are urging Slovakia's new government to alter the proposed D1 route, which according to original plans, would damage both the Mala Fatra and Velka Fatra national parks.
"Cancelling this extremely expensive PPP will bring great svings to Slovakia's public finances and opens up the opportunity for choosing [a] less environmentally damaging tunnel variant on the controversial Turany-Hubova section," commented Lucia Lackovicova from Friends of the Earth CEPA.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Figel expressed his hopes for the construction work to continue, but with greater transparency and responsibility. "We have resources at our disposal," he said, "be it from European funds or the state budget."
