WRITTEN QUESTION E-2807/00

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

(4 September 2000)

Subject: Use of an industrial site reclaimed through EU aid

The European Development Area (EDA) situated between Longwy, Athus and Pétange/Rodange, and straddling the borders between France, Belgium and Luxembourg, has unquestionably contributed to the economic growth of this former steelmaking area.

The expenditure on infrastructure to create the Development Area, and also some other operations in this cross-border area, have been heavily dependent on the Community Structural Funds. It seems that the Luxembourg Government has just decided to allocate four hectares of industrial land, reclaimed with European Union funding, for the rebuilding of the Mathias Adam lycée in Pétange.

Does the Commission regard this decision as being compatible with the objectives of the European Development Area? Did the European funds involved at the time also intend this industrial site to be used for educational activities?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(19 February 2001)

The European Development Area (EDA) was set up in response to closures and restructuring in the steel industry located in the cross-border industrial area of Longwy-Rodange-Athus and to offset their serious social and economic impact on that area.

In their joint declaration in 1985, the Belgian, French and Luxembourg governments stated that the main aim of the EDA was to promote the conversion of the area and to provide 8 000 jobs there over 10 years. They set as the sole aim of the EDA the redevelopment of the region on the three frontiers and allocated a variety of resources to achieve that goal. These included the establishment of an international business park, the creation of a joint management structure and the promotion of education and research (European college of technology). The aims of this Area are relatively broad and do not exclude the construction of a secondary school.

However, it should be noted that the project to rebuild the Mathias Adam Lycée is located in the business park to be precise, in the Rodange national industrial area, where Community funds have been used to prepare for the establishment of new firms.

The Luxembourg Ministry of Economic Affairs has stated that the site where it is planned to be build the school was equipped as part of the Resider I programme (1989-1992) and that the four hectares form part of a larger area, the improvement of which was 50 % part-financed by a contribution of 4,48 million from the European Regional Development Fund. As the text of the programme(1) says, the aim of the infrastructure works was to complete improvements to the central EDA site in order to attract the investment required and reach by the 1995 deadline the target of 1 000 new jobs in the Luxembourg part of the EDA.

It should be stressed that this target was achieved and indeed substantially exceeded since some 1 561 jobs had been created by the end of 1997. Now that the programme has been closed and the targets set achieved, the choice of whether to retain or alter the use to be made of the improved land is a matter for the Luxembourg authorities in the light of their priorities or constraints.

(1) Priority 2: completion of improvements to the central EDA site, Rodange national industrial area.