WRITTEN QUESTION P-1600/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(31 May 2002)

Subject: Imbalances in the province of Teruel (Spain)

Aragon is a thinly-populated European region (44,8 inhabitants per km2), and the province of Teruel is extremely thinly-populated (9,3 inhabitants per km2) and further disadvantaged by the fact that 9 148 of its 14 795 km2 lie at an altitude of over 1 000 metres, which means that a whole range of employment and revenue-generating activities are simply unfeasible. Nonetheless, the

province of Teruel makes a significant contribution to the Aragonese and national economies; the three conventional energy-generating plants in operation (Andorra, Escucha and Escatrón) produce 70 % of Aragon's annual energy output, which is exported to the rest of Spain. These generating plants accounted for 25 % of the province's GDP when the reference figures for selecting Objective I regions were calculated.

Developing Teruel means providing infrastructure it currently lacks, but which is essential if its isolation is to be overcome. This infrastructure represents Teruel's last chance to become part of the dynamic economies of the neighbouring Valencian Autonomous Community or the Ebro axis. If the Mediterranean economic axis could be extended inland, Teruel would benefit immediately.

The basis for achieving the sustainable internal development of provinces like Teruel would appear to be infrastructure on an appropriate scale, with the requisite protection of the natural environment, and a rethink of the current transport system.

Has the Commission planned or designed any kind of policy to ensure that major development axes in this case, the Mediterranean can be extended inland to benefit the Province of Teruel?

Does the Commission believe that it could create a Mediterranean-Iberian Hinterland axis which would reduce disparities between regions?

Does the Commission believe that the Madrid-Levante high-speed rail link route could be altered to include the city of Teruel, as an intermediate station, so that it could benefit from the dynamism of the Mediterranean axis, thus confirming a relationship which has existed for decades?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 2002)

During the current programming period (2000-2006) Teruel province is wholly eligible under Objective 2, which aims to support the economic and social conversion of areas in structural difficulty for the period in progress.

For the 2000-2006 period the guidelines adopted by the Commission in respect of programmes under the Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund encourage an integrated approach to Structural Funds support, with the aim of promoting real synergy between urban and rural development in order to progress towards more balanced regional development. The guidelines also stress the need to take transnational impact into account when determining investment priorities, particularly in the transport sphere. Hence each region's development should help a number of more evenly distributed economic integration areas to emerge, thereby making the EU progressively more polycentric. The Commission ensures that infrastructure projects for the high-speed railway line between Madrid and Levante which are presented for Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund part-financing comply with Community rules and policies as implemented. However, the Commission has no jurisdiction to take part in examining the various alternatives considered by the Spanish authorities for the route of the railway line, which is exclusively a matter for the Spanish Government.

In the second report on economic and social cohesion(1), among the possible priorities which the Commission set out for future cohesion policy were areas suffering from geographical or natural handicaps including areas of low population density. Under the European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON) programme financed by the Interreg III Community Initiative, the Commission in cooperation with the Member States is currently conducting research to increase knowledge of the European Union and to enrich the debate under way on future cohesion policy. Research will focus inter alia on: polycentric development and town-country partnership; equal access to infrastructure and knowledge; public services' role as vehicles for territorial cohesion; and the territorial impact of Community transport and trans-European networks policy. The studies' findings will contribute towards preparing the third report on cohesion, which will set out the Commission proposals on future cohesion policy.

Lastly, the proposal for a Decision 1346/2001/EC(2) amending Decision 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(3), which Parliament is currently examining, was drawn up on the basis of proposals from the Member States concerned and updates the Annex I maps, including those of the Spanish rail network. The line Canfranc-Huesca-Zaragoza-Teruel forms part of that network and contributes substantially to Teruel province's isolation as referred to by the Honourable Member.

(1) COM(2001) 24 final.

(2) OJ C 362 E, 18.12.2001.

(3) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.