NoC287/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 4.11.92
Opinionon:
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)introducingaDeclarationofEuropean
Interesttofacilitatetheestablishmentoftrans-European networksinthetransportdomain,
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)introducingaDeclarationofEuropean
Interesttofacilitatetheestablishmentoftrans-European networksintheelectricityand
naturalgasdomain,and
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)introducingaDeclarationofEuropean
Interesttofacilitatetheestablishmentoftrans-European networksinthetelecommuni­
cationsdomainf1)
(92/C287/04)
On11March1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle75oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposals.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon17June1992.TheRapporteurwas
MrPauloAndrade.
Atits298thPlenarySession(meetingofljuly1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
pendentmanagementandnon-discriminatory termsof
competitionwerethefactorsprivateinvestorsdeclared
tobemostimportantwhentheywereconsultedbythe
Commission .
1.8.TheDeclarationofEuropeanInteresthasbeen
createdespeciallytorespondtotheneedforunequivo­
calpoliticalsupportforprojects;itsissueis,ofcourse,
alwayssubjecttotherulessetoutinTitleXIIonthe
TreatyonEuropeanUnion.
13.IssuingaDeclarationofEuropeanInterestfora
specificprojectdoesnotinvolveanyobligationforthe
Commission orMemberStatestomakeafinancial
contributiontothatproject.However,theCommission
believesthattheguaranteesunderlyingtheissueofa
DeclarationofEuropeanInterestwillcreateanenviron­
mentconducivetoobtainingnecessaryfunding.1.Introduction
1.1.ThedraftRegulationpresentedbytheCom­
missionfollowsinthewakeofitsCommunication
entitled'TowardsTrans-European Networks'
[COM(90)585final].
1.2.TheaimofthisRegulationistogivesubstance
tothe'declarationofEuropeaninterestreferred'toin
theabovementioned Communication .
1.3.BeforesettingouttheRegulationproper,the
Commissionexplainsthethinkingbehindthemoveto
introducethepresentDeclarationofEuropeanInterest.
1.4.Itbeginsbystressinghownecessaryand
importanttrans-European networksareforachieving
theobjectivesunderlyingaconsolidatedSingleMarket.
1.5.TheEconomicandSocialCommitteehas
alreadyissuedanOpiniononthesenetworks[30Octob­
er1991(2)],drawnupbyasub-committee setupfor
thispurpose.Theimportanceandpressingneedfor
thenetworksweredulystressedatthattime.The
Commissionoughttokeepinmindthepointsmade
thenbytheCommittee .
1.6.Thematteroffinancingthenetworksisthe
secondsubjectdealtwith,particularattentionbeing
paidtotheroleofprivatefinance.
1.7.Returnoninvestment,riskmonitoring,potential
bureaucraticdifficultieswithpublicauthorities,inde­2.Generalcomments
2.1.Aformulamoreorlessidenticaltothepresent
onewassubmittedbytheCommissionfollowingits
'TransportInfrastructure ActionProgramme'
[COM(88)340final].
2.1.1.CouncilRegulation (EEC)3359/90of20Nov­
ember1990makesspecificreferencetoadeclarationof
Europeaninterest,whosemainobjectivewasalready'to
channelprivate-sectorcapitaltowardsmajorprojectsof
Europeaninterest'.
(1)OJNoC71,20.3.1992,p.9.
(2)OJNoC14,20.1.1992.2.1.2.Themaindifferencesbetweentermsofeligi­
bilityforthetwotypesofdeclarationare:

4.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC287/13
2.1.2.1.ThepresentDeclarationofEuropeanInter­
estopensthewayforprojectstocoverbothCommunity
territoryandoneorseveralthirdcountries.Thisoption
wasnotavailableinthepreviousdeclarationofEuro­
peaninterest.
2.1.2.2.ThepresentDeclarationofEuropeanInter­
estisspeciallyconcernedwithreturnonprivateinvest­
ment.
2.1.2.3.ThecurrentDeclarationonEuropeanInter­
estdoesnotgobeyondavaguestatementthat'the
projectpresentedmustgeneratedirecteconomiceffects
intheCommunity',anddoesnotspecifyanyareaor
sector.
2.2.TheCommitteeviewstheCouncil'sinterestin
allowingtrans-European networkstocrossintothird
countriesasbeingfullyjustified.Thesimplefactthait
thenumberofMemberStatesintheCommunityis
expectedtoincreaseismorethanenoughreasonto
warrantthisstance.
2.3.TheCommittee feelsthattheCommission
shouldtakeaccountofthepossibleimpactofanygiven
projectonMemberStates.
2.4.Althoughitistruethatarelativelyshorttime
haspassedsincethepreviousdeclarationofEuropean
Interestwascreated,aroundtwoyearsago,itmust
neverthelessbepointedoutthatnonehave,todate,
beenissuedbytheCommission .Guidelineswillhave
tobedefinedmorepreciselysothatitispossiblefor
prospectiveprojectstobeissuedwithaDeclarationof
EuropeanInterest.
2.5.ThedraftCouncilRegulationwasdeliberately
issuedaftertheDelorsIIpackage.
2.5.1.TheCommittee wonderswhetherthe
Council'sreticencevis-a-vispossiblefinancialsupport
forprojectsisnotalsoattherootofthesituation
outlinedinpoint2.4.
2.5.2.TheCommitteefeelsthattheCouncilought
toadoptamorepositivestanceinthisconnectionby
allowingthepossibilityforstrongerlinksbetweenthe
DeclarationofEuropeanInterestandCommunity
financialassistance.
2.6.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthedraftregu­
lationhasnotadequatelydefinedtheweightthattheMemberStates'positioncarriesintheCommission's
decisiononwhethertoissueaDeclarationofEuropean
Interest,particularlyintheeventofoneormoreMem­
berStates'clearoppositiontoaprojectwhichdoesnot
affecttheirterritory.
2.7.ForaDeclarationofEuropeanInteresttobe
issued,theCouncilrequiresinterestedpartiestoprovide
aconsiderableamountofinformation,someofwhich
ishighlyconfidentialinnature.
2.7.1.TheCommitteehighlightstheneedtocreate
anenvironmentinwhichprivateinvestorscanbeconfi­
dentthatthesecaseswillbedealtwithinthestrictest
confidence .
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Article5broachesthematterofthedeadlinesby
whichtheCommissiondecidesonprojects.
3.1.1.TheCommitteefeelsthattheCommission
shouldissueDeclarationsofEuropeanInterestwithin
athree-monthperiodinsteadofthesix-monthone
proposed,inviewoftheurgencyforsettinguptrans­
Europeannetworks,ofwhichweareallaware.
3.1.2.Underveryspecific,properlyjustifiedcircum­
stances,thisperiodcouldbeextendedtosixmonths;
onnooccasionshouldtheCommissionbeabletogive
itsreplysinedie.
3.2.InArticle8oftheTransportRegulationand
Article7oftheotherRegulations,theCommission
.undertakestosubmit'areportassessingtheeffective­
nessoftheprocedureintroduced'totheEuropean
ParliamentandtotheCouncil.
3.2.1.TheCommitteecannotbutdeplorethefact
thatthisreportisnotalsoscheduledtobesubmitted
totheEconomicandSocialCommittee .
4.Finalconclusion
TheCommitteeagreesingeneralwiththeproposals.
Itdoes,however,consideritessentialthattheCom­
missiontakeaccountofthesuggestionssetoutinthis
Opinion.
DoneatBrussels,1July1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH