国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Fallout from Italys tragic bridge collapse jitters investors_时事

国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Fallout from Italys tragic bridge collapse jitters investors

So far, the EU officials have not commented specifically on Salvini's remarks, but they have noted that in April they approved an extra 8.5 billion euros (9.6 billion U.S. dollars) in investments for highway maintenance, including some for the area around Genoa. The country is also receiving another 2.5 billion euros (2.9 billion U.S. dollars) in European funds for infrastructure over the six-year period ending in 2020.

The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that Italy's spending on roads, highways, and bridges fell by 58 percent between 2008 and 2017.

But Bergantino said Italy spends more than most countries on transport infrastructure. "Between 2005 and 2017, Italy spent an average of 9.1 billion euros (10.4 billion U.S. dollars) for maintenance of its transport network. That is 3.5 times more than in France and 2.1 times more than in the United Kingdom." Those two countries are the European states with population numbers most similar to Italy and both have larger economies.

Maurizio Crispino, an engineering professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, said the tragedy in Genoa should be kept in perspective.

"What happened Tuesday in Genoa was an immense tragedy," Crispino told Xinhua. "But around 4,000 people a year die on Italian roads and highways, or around 11 per day. That number is down from 6,000 several years ago, thanks to changes to safety measures on the roads and in cars themselves. An average of 11 per day is still too many, but my point is that things improve through gradual and studied changes. Not quick decisions."