France had the "right" to suspend temporarily Sunday rail traffic with Italy, said Monday the European Commission, while the two countries meet on the issue of Tunisian immigrants.
France explained "it was a very temporary interruption (...) and now traffic passes normally," and it seems "that it does not fall under the regulation of the Schengen border control," said Commissioner European Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström.
According to information provided by France, the decision was motivated by "reasons of public order," she said, holding that "apparently, they have the right to do that."
The French decision to suspend a few hours Sunday during the movement of trains from Ventimiglia (Italy), while a convoy of Tunisian migrant rights activists accompanied the French and Italian man would cross the border, angered Rome, which protested against a "violation of EU principles."
