WRITTEN QUESTION E-2103/98

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(10 July 1998)

Subject: Community aid requested for Pontebba, Udine

In June 1997 it was decided to demolish the railway installations at Pontebba, Udine which comprise 30 tracks, a large structure used as a building for passengers and station services, a goods building, another for customs and customs officers, ship depots, 12 buildings with 130 flats, dormitories for staff and a "railway hotel", an electricity substation, offices and stores for assembly staff, 5 kilometres of loading and unloading ramps, customs inspection, wagon washing facilities, livestock sheds, and premises for cafeterias, buffet, shops and leisure activities, altogether covering 30 % of the territory of the commune and renovated in the 1970s.

Demolition has led to the loss of more than 800 jobs. The whole area is thus falling into a state of utter social and economic disaster.

All this was brought about by Austria's accession to the European Union and the resulting diminution of the customs role continuously played by Pontebba and its railway installations (since 1878), against which the commune of Pontebba fought in vain, albeit with passion and various initiatives.

A few dozen kilometres away in Austria, however, the railway structures of Villach have benefited from funding, subsidies and major "revival projects". I therefore request an extraordinary appropriation to restore to Pontebba and its structures an "integrated role" as part of the enormous financial undertakings the European Union has given for the railway lines to south-east Europe as far as Ukraine on the one hand and the Balkans (Thessaloniki) on the other.

I do not understand why the Union should bring prosperity and work to one area and create unemployment and misery in another when both (Villach in Austria and Pontebba in Italy) are now part of it.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(16 September 1998)

To help finance the development of infrastructures in the Community, several support facilities have been created at Community level.

One of the European funds available for transport infrastructure projects is that which was established for the development of the trans-European transport network, as defined in Decision 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(1). The general rules for granting Community financial assistance from this fund are laid down in Council Regulation EC No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995(2). The Community can grant financial aid to projects of common interest which are financed by the Member States or by regional or local authorities or bodies equivalent to them. Applications for financial aid have to be submitted to the Commission by the Member State concerned or by the body directly concerned with the agreement of the Member State. The Commission has received no application from the Italian authorities for aid to the development of railway infrastructure in Pontebba.

It should be noted that the Commune of Pontebba is located in an area designated under the Community Structural Funds for objective 5b assistance. Objective 5b regional programmes are integrated multi-sectoral programmes which consist of a series of measures grouped into priorities covering agricultural development and diversification, rural tourism, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and rural infrastructures, environmental protection and enhancement and community development.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region is in charge of the implementation of the objective 5b programme for 1994-1999 period; any request about the aids which could be granted to Pontebba under the objective 5b programme should therefore be addressed to the regional administration.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) OJ L 228, 23.9.1995.