EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/251

(2004/C 65 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2974/03

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: Spain's lack of commitment to building the motorway linking Salamanca with Portugal

Anyone driving from the heart of Europe to Salamanca in Spain has four-lane roads at their disposal all the way.

From Salamanca onwards, there are only two narrow lanes, which means that everyone has to travel at the speed of lorries.

Where the road leaves Salamanca in the direction of Portugal, there are huge billboards announcing the building of a new four lane road co-funded by the EEC. In reality, until about half way to Ciudad Rodrigo (the last Spanish town before the Portuguese border), work is proceeding so slowly, that at the point where it stops it consists of nothing more than earth moving.

From Ciudad Rodrigo on, there is no work whatsoever being done, while as soon as the Portuguese border is crossed, the entire road to A Guarda is being converted to four lanes.

Can the Commission answer the following:

— what is the scheduled timetable for opening the four lane road between Salamanca and A Guarda;

— what can the Commission do to get Spain to get on with building the approximately 30 km of new road linking Ciudad Rodrigo with the Portuguese border?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2003)

The link between Salamanca-Fuentes de Oroño-Vilar Formoso-A Guarda is part of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) for road. It is also included in one of the 14 priority projects of the TEN-T, project number 8, Multimodal link Portugal-Spain-Central Europe. Furthermore, it is to be noted that in the framework of the High Level Group on trans-European transport network chaired by Mr Van Miert (1), composed by representatives of each Member State, year 2010 was agreed as date for start of operation for the whole link Lisboa-Valladolid.

The Commission is informed that as regards the Spanish national road N-620, between the French and the Portuguese borders, which forms part of the European network E80, there is a four lane expressway all the way between Irún and the north of Salamanca. The section between Salamanca and Fuentes de Oñoro on the Portuguese border still remains to be converted to four lanes. The section west of Salamanca between Aldehuela and Martín de Yeltes is already operational.

Currently, a large project concerning the construction of a four lane road between Martín de Yeltes and Ciudad Rodrigo has been approved for Community financial support under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the Operational Programme for the Spanish Region of Castilla y León. The works cover a section of 32,9 kilometre (km) and are planned to be finalised in October 2004. The section between Ciudad Rodrigo and Fuentes de Oñoro (approximately 29 km) remains to be upgraded. Furthermore, the Commission is informed that the Spanish authorities have already drawn up the plans for the corresponding projects for the full distance between Salamanca and Fuentes de Oñoro.

The planning of the works being the exclusive competence of the national and regional authorities, the Commission has no further information regarding the timetable of this project.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/ten/transport/revision/hlg_en.htm