No C 323/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 16.12. 86 
Proposal for a Council Regulation on the granting of financial support to transport 
infrastructure projects 
COM(86) 674 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 25 November 1986) 
(86/C 323/04) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community and in particular articles 75 and 
84 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the Council in its meeting of 11 November 
1986 has reached conclusions concerning the objectives, 
criteria and financial mechanism of a medium-term 
programme; 
Whereas the first phase of such a programme should be 
undertaken in order to use the whole of the appro­
priations included this purpose in the 1985 budget; 
Whereas the ceilings for the Community financial 
support for each project of this Regulation should be 
fixed by the Commission; 
Whereas the methods and procedures of carrying out 
this Regulation should be defined, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. In the limits of the budget credits remaining from 
the budget of 1985 and under the conditions set out in 
Articles 2, 3 and 4 the Community shall provide financial 
support for transport infrastructure projects by con­
tributing to the cost of the following projects: 
2. Transit routes: 
— Brenner-Bolzano, improvement of the railway line 
(Italy), 
— Construction of the tunnel of Chavants on the road 
access to the Mont Blanc (France), 
— Increasing capacity on the Aachen-Koln motorway in 
the region of Koln (Federal Republic of Germany), 
— Construction of a bypass at Braintree on the A120 
road towards the East Coast ports (United 
Kingdom), Improvement to the Toulouse-Barcelona road in the 
region of Pensaguel-Le Vernet (France), 
Increasing capacity and safety on the rail line 
Bayonne-Hendaye (France). 
Works in major corridors: 
Between the Netherlands and Belgium — works to 
complete the Bergen-op-Zoom-Antwerpen motorway 
(Netherlands and Belgium), 
On the approaches to the Channel ports and the 
planned Channel tunnel — completion of the M20 
motorway between Ashford and Maidstone (United 
Kingdom), 
On the transit route through Seeland to/from 
Sweden electrification and improvements to the rail 
line Rinsted-Rungsted (Denmark). 
4. Works to better integrate areas situated geographically 
on the periphery of the Community: 
— On the main road between the Peloponese and the 
Yugoslavian frontier: 
— Inofita-Schimatari (Greece), 
— Ritsona-Thivai (Greece), 
— Solomos-Nemea (Greece); 
— On the principal Athens-Thessaloniki-Idomeni 
(frontier) rail line: 
— Sfingas-Aliartos (Greece), 
— Tithoria-Domokos-Larissa (Greece), 
— Thessaloniki-Idomeni (Greece); 
— On the main north-south road in Ireland: 
— The Dunleer bypass (Ireland). 
— On principal transit axis in the Iberian peninsula: 
— Irun-Portugal road N620 (E82) — bypass of 
Tordesillas (Spain), 
— Porto-Spanish frontier road IP4 (E801)-Paredes-
Penafiel (Portugal). 
16.12.86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 323/5 
5. Other projects: 
— Works in association with the construction of a new 
loading ramp for vehicles in the port of Ostend 
(Belgium), 
— Preparatory studies and works on the project for the 
improvement of the Brenner Route between the 
Federal Republic of Germany and Italy through 
Austria (Italy). 
Article 2 
1. The Community's financial contribution under the 
present Regulation may not exceed 25 % of the total 
cost of the project as a whole or that part of the project 
that is assisted. 
2. In no case should the contributions from all 
Community budget sources exceed 70 % of the total cost 
of the project or that part of the project that is assisted. 
3. An advance payment of no more than 40 % of the 
Community contribution may be provided to accelerate 
the execution of projects. 
4. The amount of the Community financial con­
tributions to the projects referred to in Article 1 shall be 
decided by the Commission. 
Article 3 
1. Where a project which has received financial 
support has not been carried out as planned, or where 
the conditions imposed by the provisions governing the 
measure are not fulfilled, the financial support may be 
reduced or cancelled if the Commission so decides. 
Any sum paid incorrectly shall be repaid to the 
Community by the beneficiary within 12 months of the 
date of notification of such decision. 2. Without prejudice to checks carried out by the 
Member States in accordance with national laws, regu­
lations or administrative provisions, and without 
prejudice to the provisions of Article 206 bis of the 
Treaty, as well as all checks organized pursuant to 
Article 209 (c) of the Treaty, on-the-spot checks or 
enquiries in respect of projects receiving financial 
support shall be carried out by the competent authorities 
of the Member State concerned and by representatives of 
the Commission, or other persons authorized to this 
effect by the latter. The Commission shall determine 
deadlines for the performance of checks and as a pre­
liminary inform the Member State in order to receive all 
necessary assistance. 
3. The purpose of these on-the-spot checks or 
enquiries relating to operations receiving financial 
support is to ascertain: 
(a) the conformity of administrative practices with 
Community rules; 
(b) the existence of supporting documents and the fact 
that they correspond; 
(c) the conditions under which operations are executed 
and checked; 
(d) the conformity of the projects carried out with the 
conditions subject to which financial support was 
granted. 
4. The Commission may suspend payment of the 
financial contribution in respect of an operation if a 
check reveals irregularities or a substantial change in the 
nature or conditions of the project for which the 
Commission's approval has not been sought. 
Article 4 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its 
publication in the Official Journal of the European 
Communities.