The Bechtel affair is in no way a dispute over which route is best to reach the West, either the North or South of Transilvania, as it shapes up to be, but merely the foreign policy affiliation option of the Government of Romania.
The fact that the Government assumed the exemption of this contract from the legislation compliant with the community acquis, which is exactly what the European Union is debating now, shows the pro-American option of the Government.
Or at least this is what can be gathered from the wave of statements that followed the news saying the European Commission was looking into the awarding of the 2.8bn euro contract to build the Brasov-Bors motorway to US-based Bechtel without holding a tender first.
No opposition is coming from the "real" economy, though, as the transporters would like it done as quickly as possible regardless of the route chosen, and the constructors say it is expensive, yet expect contracts for the Romanian companies.
As for the political level, the opposition has already reacted strongly and the Government was quick to respond.
The Government is firmly upholding the project, using both technical and political arguments in this regard.
The traffic is heavier on the Brasov-Tg. Mures - Cluj-Napoca - Oradea route than on the southern route (Sibiu - Deva - Arad), as explained by Transports minister Miron Mitrea in reply to PD (Democrat Party) leader Traian Basescu's statements.
Basescu had said this was an exercise in bilateral interest of the Romanian Government with other areas of interest. "We are faced with an error here, as the Brasov - Targu-Mures - Oradea - Bors route is not along any major European corridors."
"We register 12,492 cars on the Bucharest - Pitesti - Rm. Valcea route today, and 22,413 cars on the Bucharest - Ploiesti - Brasov route. There are 7,925 cars travelling the Ramnicu-Valcea - Sibiu - Arad route and 11,114 cars on the Brasov-Cluj-Bors route. The motorway Mr. Basescu was singling out as the best route sees an average of 8,329 cars a day, compared with 14,328 for the route we proposed," Mitrea said.
Still, the older plans of the Transports Ministry, as displayed on its website, do not highlight this route as a priority, which seems to have appeared out of the blue in mid last year and has been strongly supported by the authorities ever since. The European route, i.e. Corridor IV, crosses the south of Transilvania, that is the Arad-Deva-Sibiu-Ramnicu-Valcea- Bucharest route. This would be about the route set by the European Union as part of the Trans-European Transport Networks Romania is a member of.
sorin.pislaru@zf.ro ; stelian.negrea@zf.ro
Pentru alte știri, analize, articole și informații din business în timp real urmărește Ziarul Financiar pe WhatsApp Channels
