The lehendakari of the Basque Country, Iñigo Urkullu, met on Wednesday with the ambassadors of France and Portugal in Spain and pointed out the need to create an Atlantic macroregion to accelerate the links of the TAV.

Urkullu urges French Ambassador Jean-Michel Casa to speed up the construction of the train connection with Hendaia-Irun, but Casa did not want to set a date for the end of construction. There is therefore no date of connection between the Basque Y and northern Europe. The ambassador is about to join the meeting between Lehendakari and the Minister of Transport.

At the January summit between France and Spain, the Spanish Government stated that France committed itself to building the link by 2030. However, according to the report of the French Infrastructure Committee, the step linking Bordeaux and Dax will not be built until at least 2042. In an interview by Europa Press in April, Casa stated that "never" committed to ending the Atlantic corridor by 2030, more than in the Mediterranean.

Necessity of the Atlantic macroregion

In recent weeks Urkullu has sought the support of the Spanish communities for the delay announced by France. In March he met with presidents of Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia, among others, with the aim of giving a "unity image" before the Spanish Government. It now raises the need for a macroregion that brings together the Atlantic regions of France, Spain and Portugal.

Portuguese Ambassador Joao Mir-Gomes has shown his willingness to support the Atlantic macro-region project, in the hope that this will enable him to connect Portugal with northern Europe. France has also been in favour of including Spain on the agenda with the EU presidency.

Europe, asking for explanations

Adalbert Jahnz, spokesman for Transport for the Community Executive, said that he would ask France for explanations of the delay. Furthermore, Urkullu and Alain Rousset, President of New Aquitaine, will meet with the European Union Commissioner for Transport.