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(2004/C 65 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2675/03

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject:   EU subsidies for transeuropean networks

In the last 20 years, the Commission has been allocating part of its budgetary resources to what it calls ‘developing transeuropean networks’.

A recent university analysis of where these funds have gone within Spain reveals that 43 % of these investments have directly benefited the Madrid Autonomous Community. If we add to this all the investment from which the Madrid Autonomous Community has emerged as a beneficiary, whether directly or indirectly, within the last 20 years, Madrid's percentage rises to 80,2 % (EUR 138,67 million).

Over the same period the so-called Mediterranean axis — Spanish frontier/France-Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia — has received 13,4 % of the subsidies (EUR 215,18 million). And while the last time Barcelona benefited from Community transeuropean network subsidies was in 2000 (installing a voice control system in Prat airport) and Valencia in 2001 (improving access to the city's port), Madrid has continued to received subsidies of this kind every single year.

Can the Commission state what criteria have been used and are used for allocating these subsidies?

Could the Commission explain the massive imbalance in the allocation of these funds?

How does the Commission actually view the so-called ‘Mediterranean Axis’ (France-Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia)?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2003)

The Community is able to provide support for the development of transport TransEuropean Networks (TEN) from the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and the Indicative Multiannual Programme (MIP). The Cohesion Fund budget for Spain for the period 1993-1999 equated to EUR 9,251 million and to EUR 11,160 million for the period 2000-2006 (1999 prices). Half of these funds are devoted to transport projects included in the TENs.

The Structural Funds are allocated between Member States for the period 2000-2006 on the basis of criteria set out in the Regulations. The effort in financial terms is concentrated on the least developed regions eligible under Objective 1. The region of Madrid does not meet the eligibility criteria for support under Objective 1.

The Cohesion Fund is allocated annually on the basis of the criteria established in the relevant Regulation and in an overall framework for transport and the environment development drawn up by the Spanish authorities. On the transport side, the effort has been concentrated over recent years on the Madrid-Barcelona-French border and the Madrid-Valladolid high speed railway corridors integrated in the Essen Priority Project — High-Speed Train South.

Concerning the financial instrument, specifically devoted to TENs, the criteria relating to the eligibility and selection of projects are set out in the Community's ‘Guidelines for the development of the TEN (1)’, 1996, which established the scope, including detailed maps of the network, objectives, priorities and definitions of projects of common interest. The funding of individual TEN projects is decided on the basis of regular requests from the Member States which are examined under the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 (2).

The selection of projects to be financed under the Cohesion and Structural Funds is a competence of the national authorities.

In respect of the financing of the sections France-Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia (the so-called ‘Mediterranean corridor’), funds have been provided since the beginning of the 1990s to improve, in particular, the railway line between Barcelona and Valencia. More recently, under the TEN framework, there are projects relevant for the Mediterranean corridor being financed in 2002 and 2003 affecting Barcelona and Valencia (in particular the HST Madrid-Castilla-La Mancha Comunidad Valenciana-Murcia (several studies) and the Studies for HST line Zaragoza-Barcelona). In addition to the two projects mentioned above, support has also been provided in 1999 for the restructuring and adaptation for HST of the railway network in the area of Valencia.

The Honourable Member may wish to note that from 1986 to-date the Union has allocated a total of EUR 498 million to the improvement and up-grading works on the Mediterranean rail corridor (France-Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia).

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(1)  Decision No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2)  Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 July 1999 amending Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks, OJ L 197, 29.7.1999.

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