The chairman of the Assembly's Finance Committee, Éric Coquerel (LFI), wrote on Thursday February 8 to the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu to communicate
“all of the annexes to the concession contract between the State and the Atosca company”
for the controversial A69 motorway project, he said in a press release.
“Thanks to these documents, protected by trade secrets, I intend to be able to determine the financial implications of this project and identify the companies involved so that everyone can appreciate their opportunity
,” he wrote.
“The government should allow citizens to consult all the documents in order to be able to judge the economic model of this operation in comparison to that of the RN126 redevelopment project
,” he argues.
In his letter, Éric Coquerel specifies that he is making this request
“in (his) capacity as chairman of the Finance Committee”
and by virtue of the prerogatives he has in terms of evaluating questions relating to public finances.
Atosca suspected of links with French political decision-makers
The A69 motorway project, which is to connect Toulouse and Castres, divides the political class and is strongly contested by environmental activists.
A parliamentary commission of inquiry at the initiative of environmentalist deputies will soon begin its work, to explore the
“legal and financial set-up of the project”
.
In a press release, the environmentalist deputies called for
“shedding light on the existing links between the company Atosca”
, the motorway concessionaire, and
“French political decision-makers”
.
The motorway construction site, against which opponents are still planning to mobilize this weekend, is progressing
“according to the planned schedule”
, declared the prefect of Occitanie Pierre-André Durand on December 18.
“45% of the budget”
for the project has been committed, and 95% of the deforestation carried out, Atosca said on Tuesday.
The government is determined to carry this section of motorway
“to completion”
, which would reduce the Castres-Toulouse journey by around twenty minutes and must be put into service in 2025.