Attac Tarn, Acting for the environment and the Valleys. These three associations of opponents of the A69 between Toulouse and Castres appeal to the Council of State to try to cancel the concession contract from the highway.
They denounce the reason which led to establishing an unusually long contract of 55 years with ATOSCA. The argument of the Transport Regulatory Authority which says that it is for satisfy lenders’ requirements is, according to these associations, illegal. This anomaly was revealed by the Radio France investigation unit.
Hearing before July 10?
It was Toulouse lawyer Christophe Lèguevaques who filed the request on June 26 with the Council of State. He is waiting for a response on the merits and above all, he is a request for interim suspensionthat is to say that he hopes for a hearing very quickly, before July 10.
He explains the reasons for the request: “In the report of the Transport Regulatory Authority, there is a sentence which caught our attention and which indicates that the duration of this concession, which is 55 years, is a duration which is abnormally high. The report of the authority explains that normally, such a highway should have lasted between 30 and 40 years. Here, we are already at 55 years, it is surprising. And above all, it specifies that the additional 15 years compared to the maximum are. justified to satisfy the requirements of lenders And that is not possible. It is not possible in French law, in European law.. And above all, it is contrary to centuries-old jurisprudence of Council of State which dates from 1916. This is the Éclairage de Bordeaux stop. And so we ask the question of this clause which in our eyes is clearly illegal. Doesn’t it have a defect which should cancel the entire contract and, from there, cause all work to be suspended?“
