EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/688

(2004/C 78 E/0735)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2931/02

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(17 October 2002)

Subject: Priority for EU funding for high-speed rail links in Spain that promote regional balance and economic and social cohesion

The Commission is currently examining the case put forward by the ‘Teruel Existe’ citizens' association regarding a proposal to re-route the Spanish high-speed rail (AVE) link between Madrid and Levante through Teruel (Petition 219/2001).

Bearing in mind, ‘inter alia’:

— the European Spatial Development Perspective (Potsdam, 1999), which highlights the need to ensure that all regions, including outlying and island areas, enjoy adequate access to transport infrastructure and services,

— the Moretti report (A3-0115/93) adopted by the European Parliament, which advocates taking account of the particularly marginal economic situation of areas with low population densities when developing trans-European networks,

— the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and the White Paper on European transport policy, which refers to the need to apply economic and social cohesion policies and regional development objectives to sustainable transport that contributes towards social and regional cohesion,

and in view of the arguments put forward by ‘Teruel Existe’ in its petition and, more particularly, in its document, setting out the arguments for re-routing the Madrid-Levante high-speed rail link, of which the Commission has a copy:

— does the Commission not believe that, as part of the process of allocating Community funds for highspeed rail projects in Spain, it ought to urge the Spanish authorities to make a minor alteration to the new route involving a mere 10 minutes' additional journey time, so that it also benefits less densely populated or least favoured regions, as advocated in different EU documents on economic and social cohesion;

— does it not take the view that, generally speaking, all allocations of Community aid ought to boost those regions experiencing the greatest difficulties (namely outlying, island and less densely populated regions) instead of benefiting only their more developed counterparts, as the existing plans for the high-speed rail link would do;

— does it not believe that the province of Teruel might suffer discrimination on two counts if, besides losing its eligibility for Objective 1 status, it were forced to remain outside the main transport routes that the Commission itself sees as a matter of priority;

— will it say what stage it has reached in its examination of Petition 219/2001, forwarded to it by the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(13 December 2002)

In reply to the Honourable Member's view that the province of Teruel has suffered from discrimination on two counts, the Commission would point out that:

— that province has not been removed from the list of regions eligible under Objective 1, since it was never one of the areas eligible under that Objective of the Structural Funds;

— as regards development of the trans-European rail network, the Commission follows Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (1). In 2001 it proposed amending that Decision (2) to include the Huesca-Zaragoza-Teruel rail link as a high-speed line to help improve access to the province of Teruel. Parliament expressed a positive opinion on that proposal, which is now being considered by the Council.

The Commission is currently considering the requests for further information in petition 219/2001 referred to by the Honourable Member. A Communication on those requests will be sent to Parliament's Committee on Petitions as soon as possible.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) COM(2001) 544 final.