Prime Minister Jean Castex defended this Saturday in Toulouse, in front of a panel of citizens, the construction of Europe, regretting that there are “many things that Europe is doing which are absolutely unknown”.
Shortly after announcing the name of the prospective concessionaire for the motorway which is to link this city to Toulouse near Castres, Jean Castex responded to the observations of the 56 citizens who are participating in a reflection organized throughout the EU. France will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January 1 for a period of 6 months.
European minimum wage and carbon tax
“There are a lot of things that Europe is doing that are absolutely unknown”, regretted Mr Castex, adding: “We have a duty to inform, educate, share” with regard to European citizens. “The EU must make known its usefulness”, he insisted.
Mr. Castex also defended the idea of a European minimum wage or a “carbon tax” at the borders of the EU, among other proposals made by France.
In the spring, the EU launched a wide consultation of citizens which should make it possible to bring out guidelines and proposals for reforms.
In France, the State organizes them in its regions, bringing together between 30 and 50 citizens each time, before a “national restitution” in October.
The head of government concluded his visit to Toulouse, according to the prefecture, by going to the site of the AZF industrial disaster memorial, to reflect, off camera and outside the press, in memory of the 31 dead and thousands of other victims on September 21, 2001.
“Price adjustment for the least polluting vehicles”
Before going to Toulouse, Mr. Castex had announced near Castres that the NGE group (New generations of entrepreneurs) had been selected by the State, following a call for tenders, as “prospective concessionaire “for the A69, 54 km motorway between Castres and Toulouse.
The head of government specified that an “attractive subscription with decreasing tariffs according to the frequency of passages per month” should be set up as well as a “tariff modulation for the least polluting vehicles”.
The signing of the concession contract is expected “in the first half of 2022” and, after a year of environmental studies, “the works must be able to begin in mid-2023 with commissioning by 2025”, -he insisted about this project awaited by the elected officials of the south of the Tarn for more than 20 years.
He admitted, however, that “there may always be some uncertainties”, this project arousing the opposition of certain environmental activists, but the deadlines seem “largely realistic” according to him.
–
