WRITTEN QUESTION E-0332/02

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Rail infrastructure in Greece

Further to Mr Barnier's answer of 24 January 2002 (P-3122/01(1)), given on behalf of the Commission, will the Commission provide the following information:

1. What is the total amount of payments to date from the 2nd CSF for 1994-1999 and from the Cohesion Fund for each rail infrastructure project in Greece, including rolling stock and studies?

2. What is the total amount of payments made to date by the Commission before and after the changes to material and financial aspects of the projects relating to the rail links between Thriasio, Elefsina and Corinth, Evangelismos and Leptokarya, and electrification of the national inter-city link between Patras, Athens and Thessaloniki (PATHE)?

3. Were other changes made to rail network projects?

4. What is the total amount of expenditure submitted to the Commission's departments by Greece in respect of rail infrastructure in Greece and to what does that expenditure relate?

5. What material and financial aspects of the above three projects have been completed within the new schedule?

6. The Commission has said that co-funding of the PATHE electrification project has been suspended. Since the project originally approved was reduced in scope to the funding of a number of studies and modifications to the existing signalling system, does the Commission consider that the expenditure on the PATHE electrification project is eligible for co-funding when an absolute condition of such funding is that the project should be finished and operational?

7. On which dates did the Commission announce the results of its checks and ask for a reply from the Greek authorities?

8. What is the Commission's view of the overall outcome of the works carried out by Ergose A.E?

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2002)

1. The total amount paid up to now by the European Regional Development Fund under the operational programme (OP) Railways of the community support framework (CSF) for Greece during the 1994-1999 programming period, including expenditure for rolling stock and studies, is 363 million. The Commission proceeds to interim payments to Member States for operational programmes of the programming period 1994-1999 on the basis of expenditure declarations presented by them for the whole operational programme, and has no available data at this stage on the amount paid for each individual project.

As far as the Cohesion Fund is concerned, the total amount of payments made on 1 February 2002 for railway infrastructure projects in Greece is 453 756 412, and the analysis of this amount per project is as follows:

>TABLE>

2. and 5. The total amount of Cohesion Fund payments for the specific projects referred to in the question is as follows:

- Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase A) before the modification of the initial decision: 54 million (corresponding to 90 % of the approved assistance and to 25,5 % of the approved physical object).

- Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase B) after the modification of the initial decision for the project: 16,5 million (corresponding to 20 % of the approved assistance, as an advance payment).

- Evagelismos-Leptokarya (Phase A): 234,85 million (corresponding to 90 % of the approval assistance and to 63 % of the approved physical object).

- Electrification of Athens-Thessaloniki rail line: 21,6 million (corresponding to 64 % of the approved assistance and to 23 % of the approved physical object).

No payments have been made for the last two projects after the last modification of the relevant co financing decisions which took place in 2001 and 1999 respectively.

3. There have been four modifications of the OP Railways 1994-1999 since its approval in December 1994, namely in 1996, 1998, 1999 and finally in 2000.

As far as the Cohesion Fund decisions for individual railway projects are concerned, the Commission decisions which have been modified and the respective year of the modification, are the following:

>TABLE>

4. Total eligible public expenditure declared by the Greek authorities up to now, under the OP Railways 1994-1999, is 547 million. The respective amount for Cohesion Fund rail projects, that is the total eligible public expenditure declared up to now, is around 600 million.

6. It must be noted that payments made up to now for the electrification project cover designs and preparatory works for the future development of the project. The Commission would also draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that payments made up to now for this project are advance and interim payments. When a request for a final payment is made the Commission checks if the project or phase of project is completed and operational in accordance with the regulations. As far as the further payments to this project are concerned, the position of the Commission has been presented in the answer given to written question P-3122/01(1) of the Honourable Member.

7. The expertise done on behalf of the Commission for the electrification and the Evagelismos-Leptokarya rail projects was communicated to the Greek authorities on 25 July 2001. The Greek authorities presented their views and comments on this expertise to the Commission on the 30 January 2002.

8. Ergose has been created in the context of a policy agreed by the Greek authorities and the Commission under CSF 1994-1999, to create new independent agencies for the management of large infrastructure projects, so that the problems of design, budget, time and quality of execution for those projects would be overcome.

Other examples of such agencies created under the previous CSF for Greece are the Attiko Metro Company, managing the construction of the Athens Metro and its extensions, and the Egnatia Company, managing the Egnatia motorway construction.

The Commission has the intention, with the help of experts, to examine the efficiency and the quality of the project management provided by all the above mentioned agencies, starting with the audit of Ergose which will take place in the next months.

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.