WRITTEN QUESTION E-2525/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

(2 August 2000)

Subject: Corridor 8

Can the Commission say what stage has been reached in the project to create Corridor 8?

What measures have already been taken?

What financial resources are available?

What, if any, obstacles are there still?

What is the role of the regional government of Apulia?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 September 2000)

The Commission is giving firm support to developing all the pan-European transport corridors by negotiating with the parties concerned and taking all the political, technical and financial steps needed to promote a more favourable context for transport activities within Europe.

In recent months, for instance, liaising with the Italian chairmanship of Corridor VIII the Italian Ministry for Transport and Shipping the Commission has played an active part in the work to finalise the Memorandum of Understanding regarding this Corridor. This work has focussed, in particular, on helping the participating countries, namely Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Turkey to reach a final compromise on the text of the Memorandum.

Agreement by the parties on almost all the text was reached at the beginning of July 2000 in Rome. Barring any last-minute change of opinion, it is expected that the Memorandum will be signed by the ministerial authorities of the participating countries and by the Commission in the next few weeks.

The route of intermodal Corridor VIII as described in the draft Memorandum provides for a main line linking Bari/Brindisi Durres/Vlore -Tirana Cafasan Skopje Sofia Plovdiv Burgas/Varna. In addition, the corridor also includes the road connection Ormenion Slivengrad Burgas and Byala/Gorna Oriahovica Pleven Sofia, on the one hand and Cafasan Kapshtice/Kristallopigi, on the other.

A start-up phase, comprising the carrying out of a technical study, will be launched as soon as the Memorandum has been signed. The study will describe the status of the corridor's infrastructures and will assess priority requirements.

The development of Corridor VIII has already benefited from substantial financial support from the Community for the sectors in the territory of beneficiary countries through the corresponding PHARE, Obnova and, very recently, ISPA programmes and from international financial institutions and bilateral donors.

What is more, strong emphasis has been ascribed to the importance of Corridor VIII under the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, instituted in June 1999, and in which the Commission is participating actively. In particular, on the occasion of the conference for donors to this Pact, which took place in Brussels at the end of March 2000, a number of projects were identified as priorities for immediate action along corridor VIII. Consequently, these projects should effectively be implemented in a few months.

The region of Apulia (like other local authorities interested in the development of Corridor VIII) may be associated with the development of this corridor through the intermediary of the Italian Government's representative under the Memorandum of Understanding.