Rightfromitsstartingphaseonbeginning,Eurojusthasmadeuseofthoseprovisionsbyestablishing
various contacts with Members of Parliament. For instance, the Commission has been informed thatMembersoftheParliament’sCommitteesonCitizens’FreedomsandRightsandJustice/HomeAffairsandonBudgetaryMattershavebeeninvitedtoEurojust.TheCommissionappreciatesthis.
Furthermore,Eurojusthaspublisheditsfirstannualreport(
3)andprovidedcopiestoParliament.According
totheCouncilDecision(Article32),EurojustsofaronlyhadtoreporttotheCouncilandtheCommission
(theJointSupervisoryBodyondataprotectiononlytotheCouncil,Article23(12))(4).Onproposalofthe
Commission(5),the CouncilDecisionisgoing tobeadaptedtothe new Financial Regulation. Inthis
context,theCommissionproposedamongotherthingsthatthereportbesentdirectlytotheParliament;amendmentislikelytobeadoptedbytheCouncilsoon(
6).
In this context, the Commission is ready to provide support for further arrangements if need be,
particularlyifeithertheParliamentorEurojustconsidersthisnecessary.
(1) OJL63,6.3.2002,p.5.
(2) AsconcernstheCommission,theRulesofProcedure(OJC286,22.11.2002,Article21(5))expresslyexcludeaccess
tooperationaldata,althoughtheCommissionisfullyassociatedwiththeworkofEurojust,Article11(1)oftheCouncilDecision.
(
3) Councildoc.9124/03Eurojust11.
(4) TheCouncilDecisionprovidesonlyforareportbythePresidencyoftheCounciltotheParliament,butnodirect
report,Article32(2).
(5) OJC331E,31.12.2002,p.67.
(6) SeeInterinstitutionalFile2002/0173,Councildoc.9015/03of19.5.2003.
(2004/C58E/112) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1799/03
byKonstantinosHatzidakis(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(28May2003)
Subject:DelaysaffectingtheconstructionofthenorthernIonianhighwayandtheviabilityoftheRion-
Antirionlink
Thenorthernsectionofthewestern(Ionian)highwayinGreeceforwhichconcessioncontractsaretobe
awarded is being delayed considerably. Furthermore, the financial viability of the new Rion-Antirionbridge,scheduledforcompletioninDecember2004,willobviouslybeaffectedbythelateopeningoftheAntirion-Ioanninamotorwayowingtothedisruptionoftrafficflowstoandfromthebridge.
1. Whereexactlydoestheproblemlieregardingtheawardingofconcessioncontractswhichappearsto
beholdinguptheproject?
2. Whatstagehasbeenreachedbyworkonthesectionsunderconstruction,whenaretheyscheduled
forcompletionandwhenisitanticipatedthatthenorthernIonianhighwaywillfunctiontofullcapacity?
3. WhatisthelevelofCommunityfundingforconstructionofthenorthernIonianhighway?Isthe
projectremainingwithinitsoriginalbudgetandifnotwherehavethechangesoccurred?
4. WhatindicationsdoestheCommissionhaveregarding:
/dash thedelaysaffectingcompletionofthenorthernIonianhighwayandthetimetableforredemptionof
publicandprivateinvestmentcapital;
/dash thefinancialviabilityoftheRion-Antirionbridgeasaffectedbytheconstructionofthenorthern
Ionianhighway?6.3.2004EN C58E/97 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrBarnieronbehalfoftheCommission
(30July2003)
ThenorthIonianaxe,fromAntiriotoIoannina,aswellasthesectionofthePATHEaxefromAthensto
Malliakos, form together a concession scheme which has been tendered by the Greek Authorities inautumn2001.Thephaseofthepreselectionofcandidateswithinthistenderingprocedurewascompletedinautumn2002.Atpresent,thefinaltenderdocumentsandtermsarebeingprepared bytheGreekAuthoritiesforthisconcessionscheme.
Theby-passesofthecitiesofAgrinio,ArtaandPhilipiada,areimportantsectionsofthenorthIonianaxe.
Theyhaveatotallengthof52,5kilometres(km),andtheyarenowunderconstructionaspublicworks.Theyareco-financedbytheCommunitySupportFramework,2000-2006,andbytheCohesionFund,2000-2006.OnthebasisoftheinformationgivenbytheGreekAuthoritiesandtherelevantfundingdecisionsinthecaseoftheCohesionFund,theprojectsshouldbecompletedbytheendof2007.
Forinformationregardingthesecondandthirdpointsofhisquestion,theHonourableMemberisaskedto
refertotheanswergivenbytheCommissiontotheWrittenQuestionP-0386/03ofMrAveroff(
1).
Thesocio-economicfeasibilityassessmentfortheRIO-AntiriobridgeundertakenbytheCommissionand
theEuropeanInvestmentBankyieldedapositiveresulttakingintoaccountthetrafficdataandprojections,andthecapacityofexistingtransportinfrastructuresinEpirus,WesternGreeceandPeloponnese.NewtransportinfrastructurebecompletedundertheCommunitySupportFrameworkandtheCohesionFund,2000-2006,includingthenorthIonianaxearealsoexpectedtoenhancetheviabilityoftheRIO-Antiriobridge.
(1) OJC222E,18.9.2003,p.194.
(2004/C58E/113) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1808/03
byPhilipBradbourn(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(23May2003)
Subject:CommunicationCOM(2002)709final(C5-0202/2003),Target-basedtripartitecontracts
WithregardtotheEuropeanCommissionCommunication(1),willtheCommissionpleaseconfirmthatthe
tripartitecontractsandagreementsreferredtowillnotoverridethepowersandprerogativesofMemberStatesintermsofbypassingnationaleconomicandsocialobjectivesandcontrolsonpublicexpenditureand also national policies and constitutional arrangements in Member States in respect of their ownregionalandlocalauthorities?
(1) COM(2002)709final.
AnswergivenbyMrProdionbehalfoftheCommission
(10June2003)
TheCommissioncanconfirmthat,pursuanttotheCommissioncommunicationofDecember2002to
whichtheHonourableMemberrefers,involvementbytheMemberStates(centralgovernment)isasinequanonfortheestablishmentofatarget-basedtripartitecontractoragreement.
Inparticular,whenthecommunicationwasadopted,theCommissionmadeitspositionknowninthe
following terms: ‘Since the aim is to develop experience and encourage involvement, the clearidentificationoflocalactorstobeincludedinthecontractoragreementisanimportantconditionforsuccess.Thisidentification requires the involvementofthe Member States,ifonlytoensure thatthecontractoragreementiscompatiblewithconstitutional,legislativeandadministrativeprovisionsinforceineachMemberState.’
ItistheCommission’sfirmintentiontoabidebytheseguidelinesoncompliancewithMemberStates’
constitutionalarrangementswhenimplementingtarget-basedcontractsandagreements.C58E/98 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion