EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/394

(2004/C 84 E/0457)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0431/04

by Luigi Vinci (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 February 2004)

Subject: European Commission plan for a vertical-takeoff convertiplane

Considering that:

— Agusta-Westland, an Italian-British joint venture, and Eurocopter, a Franco-German joint venture, are the leading European companies in the aeronautical sector, more specifically in the construction of helicopters.

— Agusta-Westland signed an agreement three years ago with the American company Bell-Textron to design and build a vertical-takeoff convertiplane, the BA609, using expertise provided by Bell-Boeing, who are in the process of producing a similar model for military use.

— This project is already at an advanced stage and the consortium intends to test experimental protoypes at Cameri military aiport in Piedmont and to apply for preliminary licensing by 2007.

— The European Commission has in the past drafted a similar project to build a convertiplane, given different acronyms such as TILT-ROTOR and ERICA.

Can the Commission indicate:

— whether it is true that it has drafted another plan of the same kind with the new acronym FINE TRIP and with projected costs of between EUR 90 000 million and EUR 100 000 million until 2015 to build a 10-tonne convertiplane with 20 passenger berths, and that it awarded the contract exclusively to Agusta-Westland and Eurocopter in 2002;

— whether a research and planning contract has therefore already been signed with Agusta and Eurocopter, although one of these companies is already carrying out a similar project with the American company Bell-Textron?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2004)

The European rotorcraft industry had already submitted a proposal for a large project on tilt-rotors in the Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (RTD) (FP5). It was submitted twice without success. In the meantime, a number of critical technology projects were selected in FP5 that address basic R&D topics on tilt rotor technology. Depending on the results and potential arising from ongoing research, there is a possibility that the topic of tilt rotor technology may be included in the work programme for the third call for proposals, foreseen to be published in May 2005, under the Sixth EU Framework Programme for RTD (FP6, 2002-2006). If this possibility is confirmed, an estimated overall budget envelope in the range of EUR 90 to EUR 100 million could be available for this research, up to 50 % coming from the FP6 budget. The European industry is known to be preparing itself in view of this possibility. No specific reference is made to a tilt rotor development in the current version of the FP6 aeronautics work programme.

There is no contract signed in 2002 between the Commission and Agusta and/or Eurocopter. Furthermore, the Commission funds projects dealing with research, technology development and concept validation. Industrial project development is not included among the activities covered by the Framework Programme of the Commission.

As a point of clarification, it is to be noted that ERICA is an industrial feasibility study (not a European project as such) carried out jointly by Agusta-Westland and Eurocopter that investigates a different technological concept from the one BA609 is based upon.