WRITTEN QUESTION E-2907/01

by Guido Bodrato (PPE-DE) and Thierry Cornillet (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 October 2001)

Subject: Lyon-Turin transalpine link

The Essen summit of December 1994 adopted a European programme of 14 priority infrastructure projects, including the Lyon-Turin transalpine link, which forms part of the Lyon-Turin-Trieste link. It was stated at the same summit that this link would come into service by 2010. Numerous measures and surveys, as well as the constant support of the European Union, enabled the Italian and French states to decide in a clear and irreversible fashion on the implementation of this new high-capacity goods and passenger railway link. This decision, which ties in very well with the political vision of this assembly, was favourably received. However, the report delivered by the intergovernmental committee and distributed after the summit, and the official documents signed on 29 January 2001, still contain elements of uncertainty which should be clarified as soon as possible.

The first of these is the projected date for implementation of the work. We must remember the date set at Essen and try to come as close to it as possible. All the studies carried out to date note that the existing rail line has reached saturation point, and take the view that a deadline of 2015 is too distant in the light of the genuine needs for a modal rebalancing of transalpine transport. However, the abovementioned documents unfortunately still contain a number of uncertainties as regards the date for final completion of the work and set out a programme of surveys and studies which are clearly scheduled to run beyond 2015. This is entirely unacceptable, given that 10 years have already been devoted to surveys and studies, and that the European Union has underlined the urgent need to find solutions to the problems of transalpine transport as early as possible.

Secondly, the two governments have postponed until 2006 the choice between full completion of the line and completion in two stages (first one tube, then the second), although the studies already carried out show clearly that the full approach is the most cost-effective, the safest and the one that will cause the least pollution to the alpine valleys.

Finally, these documents make no reference to any kind of financial engineering study envisaging a mixed public-sector, private-sector approach, which runs entirely counter to the provisions of the new financial regulation approved by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament in June 1999 (Regulation 1655/1999(1)). This is a serious shortcoming which reveals a lack of understanding on the part of those responsible of the fundamental principles underlying Europe's political will. If this lack of understanding continued, with wrong references, for example, being used, the granting of Community subsidies at the most favourable rate would be placed in jeopardy.

The European Union and its bodies clearly have a key role to play in the realisation of this important project both from the financial point of view and from that of meeting the objectives. Could the Commission therefore state its position on these three points, which are fundamental to the success of this major project forming part of the construction of Europe?

(1) OJ L 197, 29.7.1999, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

The Lyon-Turin-Milan-Venice-Trieste transalpine link represents, for the Community, a key element of the policy of modal rebalancing particularly in sensitive areas such as the Alps which has been recommended for some considerable time by the Commission and which represents one of the most salient aspects of the White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide adopted in September 2001(1). The recent incident in the Gothard road tunnel, which comes less than three years after the Mont Blanc disaster, serves to remind us of the urgent need to implement such a policy promoting the development of rail transport.

The present capacity of the rail infrastructures crossing the Alps and their characteristics are not however compatible with the increase in movements of passengers and goods expected over the next few decades. The Commission therefore shares the opinion of the Honourable Members that the priority must be to complete the major alpine links identified by the Essen European Council in December 1994, which include the Lyon-Turin-Milan-Venice-Trieste high-speed line/combined transport project and which were listed in 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(2).

In overall terms, this project meets two main objectives. It meets the economic development needs of Northern Italy and a sizeable area of Eastern France and it also represents, with a view to enlargement, the basic element of a new link between the Western and Eastern regions of the Union.

Following the Franco-Italian summit in Turin, the Commission sent letters to the Transport Ministers of the two Member States concerned expressing both its satisfaction at the relaunch of the abovementioned project and also its concern regarding the timescales for its implementation 2015 was the completion date mentioned and the uncertainties which hung and continue to hang over certain aspects of the project. The recent meetings between the French and Italian Governments have however dispelled some of these doubts since the Ministers have agreed that the project should be completed in 2012 at the latest(3).

Although it is regrettable for the reasons mentioned above that the project cannot be completed before the end of this decade, given the difficulties inherent in the work involved and the present state of the project, then 2012 is a major improvement on previous forecasts.

However, the Commission shares the conviction of the Honourable Members that it is essential to decide on the technical characteristics of the project as soon as possible if the new deadline is to be met. This moreover is a condition that the project will have to meet to receive increased Community funding over the next few years. In this connection, the Commission has on several occasions reminded the representatives of the two Member States of its preference for the immediate completion of a twin-tube project, in accordance with the proposals of the Christophersen group endorsed by the Heads of State and Government at Essen. Completion of the tubes in stages would seriously affect the attractiveness of the project and would involve a number of risks for the operation of the line, apart from the long-term nuisance for the inhabitants of the Alpine valleys in question.

More specifically as regards the financial aspects, the Community has already contributed aid amounting to EUR 62 million for studies relating to the international section of the project, Montmelian-Bussoleno. Under the multiannual indicative programme 2001-2006 adopted by the Commission on 19 September 2001, additional funding of EUR 100 million has been approved for further studies and completion of the exploratory galleries. Any further financial commitment will depend on whether the doubts surrounding the characteristics of the project have been dispelled.

The Commission remains open to exploring other solutions, particularly public-private partnerships (PPP), which could meet the considerable financial needs of the project. In this connection, a proposal to amend the rules for the granting of Community financial aid, authorising a maximum contribution of 20 % as against 10 % at present, was adopted by the Commission on 2 October 2001(4). The increase in the rate of Community aid for projects such as Lyon-Turin-Milan-Venice-Trieste should therefore make it easier to involve the private sector in their funding.

In this respect, the Commission shares the opinion of the Honourable Members that a financial engineering study should be carried out as soon as possible and it would be prepared to examine any request for cofunding of such a study under the TEN-T budget. It also points out that the White Paper clearly defines new principles for pricing in transport, which should make it possible, with the revenue thus produced, to contribute to the funding of new infrastructures, particularly in the rail sector in accordance with the wishes of Parliament(5).

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.

(2) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(3) Gayssot-Lunardi meeting of 24 July 2001.

(4) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks COM(2001) 545.

(5) COSTA Report (A5-0345/2000).