WRITTEN QUESTION E-1440/99

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Linking of Galicia and Portugal by a high-speed train network

Can the Commission state what the current forecasts are, in terms of time-schedules and budgets, concerning the construction of a high-speed train network to link Galicia and Portugal along the route Lisbon-Porto-Vigo-Santiago-Corunna-Ferrol, given the major economic importance of this transfrontier region, which, with its 14 million inhabitants, occupies a substantial part of the European Atlantic seaboard?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1438/99 and E-1440/99 given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 1999)

Decision No 1692/0096/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) contains in its annexes maps showing, for information purposes only, the links and nodes of this network based on how it should look in 2010. As far as the high-speed section is concerned, a distinction is drawn between lines already in service in 1996 and lines that are still in the early or more advanced stages of design.

With specific reference to Galicia, it is true that at the time when these guidelines were being developed no actual high-speed project, either towards Portugal or towards central Spain, was under scrutiny. However, the 1996 maps do show details of a project in Portugal, from Lisbon to Oporto, followed by a conventional line to Galicia, as well as details in Spain of a redevelopment project envisaging speeds of the order of 200 kilometres per hour (km/h) from Valladolid almost as far as Orense, followed also by a conventional line to Orense and Santiago.

Since this decision, taken in 1996, a number of studies have been funded under the trans-European transport network budget with a view to improving rail connections in this region. Furthermore, the proposal by the Commission in 1997 to amend the European Parliament and Council Decision of 1996 amending Decision No 1692/0096/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as well as project No 8 in Annex III(2) also entailed amending the title of specific project No 8 Motorway Lisbon-Valladolid to Multimodal link Portugal Spain with the rest of Europe. The relevant explanatory memorandum focused explicitly on the need to reinforce this corridor, one of the three sections of which specifically links Galicia (La Coruña) to Portugal (Lisbon).

Under the amendments proposed by Parliament on 10 March 1999 after first reading, the Commission presented an amended proposal(3) and a communication on the common position of the Council, currently in the preparatory stage. In particular, the Commission intends to accept the amendment proposed by Parliament calling for a detailed definition of the aims of specific project No 8 so as to ensure that the integration of Galicia into the trans-European network is more transparent.

As far as funding is concerned, it should be pointed out that other funds (European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund and the European Investment Bank) have been used, and remain available for use, for the funding of studies and infrastructures designed to improve rail connections in this region.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) COM(97) 681 final.

(3) COM(1999) 277 final.