# CE2004084EN.01055501.xml

| 3.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 84/555 |
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3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 84/555

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(2004/C 84 E/0633)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0246/04

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject:   Start of work on the Ebro Transfer

Subject:

The Spanish Ministry of the Environment has announced that the government will lay the first stone in the work on the Ebro Transfer at the end of February, more specifically on the section linking the underground stretch of the River Segura to the Campos del Rio aqueduct in Murcia and the mouth of the Saltador al Camino del Cerro Minado tunnel in Almanzora (Almería). Likewise, a company under contract from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment has started excavations at Ulldecona and Alcanar in the province of Tarragona. At her meeting with the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy on 16 December 2003, the Environment Commissioner gave assurances that the work on the Ebro Transfer would be viewed as a whole and not as separate projects.

Can the projects in question be financed separately or must they be included in the overall Ebro Transfer package? Has an application for European Union funding been made for these projects? Will such funding be granted?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2004)

(18 March 2004)

The Spanish authorities have submitted to the Commission for co-financing under the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund a set of four projects linked to the Ebro transfer. For one of the projects, the northern sector, community co-financing has been requested under the Cohesion Fund while for the other three (major projects) the requests have been made under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the regional Operational Programmes for Valencia, Murcia and Andalucía.

The dates from which expenditure can be considered eligible for these projects is 29 December 2004 for the Cohesion Fund and the 1 January 2000 for the Structural Funds. It is not necessary for the Spanish authorities to await a decision by the Commission to launch these projects, although in such a situation the authorities incur the risk that the project does not meet the conditions necessary for approval by the Commission as set out in the relevant regulations.

While the above-mentioned projects have been presented as a group and, will, therefore, be evaluated as such by the Commission; it remains the exclusive competence of the Spanish authorities to decide on the most appropriate way to implement them, including matters related to the number of construction contracts considered necessary for technical or efficiency reasons.

At present, the Commission is in the process of analysing the submitted projects. A decision concerning the possible allocation of Community funds for these projects can only be taken once all the information has been carefully analysed. This decision will be made according to the existing rules and procedures as set down in the relevant regulations, and in full compliance with the applicable Community legislation and policies including those relating to the environment.

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