WRITTEN QUESTION E-3218/01

by Jean Lambert (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 November 2001)

Subject: EU funding for transport in the Peloponnese

It has been brought to our attention that roads are being built with EU funding in Argolid and Arcadia in the Peloponnese, Greece, while no money is going to improve the railway which circles the region, which is badly in need of improvement.

Please could you inform me: Under which programme are these roads being funded?

Is the Commission making any attempt to ensure that railways receive investment in parallel with road development funded by the EU, in the Peloponnese and in Europe in general?

What is the reasoning, and what factors have been taken into account, behind decisions on transport infrastructure development in the Peloponnese?

Has there been an Environmental Impact Assessment for EU-funded projects in the Peloponnese?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2002)

The Community support framework (CSF) for Greece during the 2000-2006 programming period defines a development strategy which includes road, rail, ports and airports communications and sets priorities in relation to the resources available. Further details on the intervention foreseen in this field are set out in the Operational Programmes.

The Operational Programme for the region of Peloponnese provides for support for roads in Argolis and Arcadia.

For Trans-European transport network (TEN) projects in Greece, some 4 billion for roads and 2 billion for railways are foreseen for Greece during the programming period 2000-2006 to be financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund. A further 0,2 billion from the EU under the TEN budget line is foreseen for the co-financing of studies. These amounts are more than doubled by the public and private national contributions and reflect the infrastructure needs of the Member State and the capacity of its managing authorities to implement within the time available. As regards rail investment in particular, a considerable effort is being made by the Greek authorities to reinforce its project management capacity.

The expected completion of these investment programmes by 2008 should ensure that the TEN for both road and rail is broadly in place in Greece, in line with the transport strategy for the fifteen approved by the Council of Ministers of the European Union.

The TEN priority for rail networks in the Peloponnese is the link from Patras to Corinth continuing through Athens to Thessaloniki and up to the Bulgarian and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) borders. For this link, a Community co-financing of 0,4 billion is foreseen. When this link is complete and operational, the quality of service provided may justifiy further investment in subsidiary lines elsewhere in the Peloponnese. However, this depends on detailed traffic forecasts for the region taking account of factors such population density, levels of economic activity and topography. For large parts of such regions, road transport can be the most sustainable solution at least in the medium-term.

The Commission draws the attention of the Honourable Member that any project subject to Community co-financing, in the Peloponnese as well as in the rest of the Community, must conform with the Community legislation, including that concerning environmental protection, and is subject to a prior environmental impact assessment.