WRITTEN QUESTION E-0193/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 January 2003)

Subject: Traffic problem in Athens

According to reports in the Greek press, the Commission has funded programmes (such as Euronet, Europrice, Afford etc.) to evaluate road charging schemes in some European cities, including Athens, which is an Olympic city and in less than 19 months hosts the 2004 Olympic Games. One of the proposals was to introduce a system of additional charges (tolls) to use the roads in the centre of Athens. Remarkably, in Athens no tunnels are built for underground traffic as they are in other European cities such as Brussels, a system which would certainly relieve the congestion.

Is it true that the introduction of tolls in Athens is under consideration? In which Member States are there no tolls at all on motorways or other roads? What is the Commission's view regarding the construction of underground tunnels as part of the works which it jointly funds in Athens? Does the Commission know whether the co-funded works on the Athens Metro are proceeding in due and proper manner, in particular on the basis of detailed surveys, following the recent subsidence in Chalandri in Attica which left a crater in the middle of the road directly above the construction site of a metro line?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

The Commission has funded several projects under the 4th and the 5th Framework Research Programmes on transport pricing. The cities and policies to be analysed in these projects are selected by the study team, not by the Commission. The fact that pricing in Athens is addressed by several projects reflects the success of Greek researchers in the calls for proposals.

The decision to introduce an urban road pricing system in Athens is a decision that, in line with the subsidiarity principle, should be taken by the competent authorities and not by the Commission. The Commission is not aware of any plans for Athens.

Directive 1999/62/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999, on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures(1) is the Community legal instrument for the levying of taxes, tolls and user charges on lorries above 12 tonnes (T). Member States levying tolls and user charges on vehicles below 12 T do not have to comply with the provisions contained in Directive 1999/62/EC as such tolls and user charges fall outside its scope. As a rule, tolls and user charges shall be imposed only on users of motorways or other mufti-lane roads with characteristics similar to motorways, or users of bridges,

tunnels and mountain passes. At present, Member States relying solely on taxation instruments instead of user charges or tolls on interurban roads are Ireland, Finland and the United Kingdom. In urban areas, London introduced a congestion charging scheme in February 2003. Similar systems are already in place in some Norwegian cities and are being planned or tested in other European cities.

Concerning urban transport, according to Article 9 of Directive 1999/62/EC, nothing prevents Member States from imposing other charges as parking fees, urban traffic charges and congestion charges. Consequently, the urban charges in question seem to be in conformity with this Directive.

As indicated in the White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide(2) the Commission plans to present a Community framework providing for a new structure of infrastructure use charging. This was also requested by the European Council of March 2003 (point 54 of Conclusions).

The Commission has at its disposal positive cost-benefit analysis for the underground projects of extensions of the Athens Metro. These extensions are currently under construction or under design and are co-financed by the Community Support Framework 2000-2006 for Greece.

On the basis of information provided by the Greek Authorities to the Commission, the failure of the soil which occurred in the works of one extension of the Athens Metro, in January 2003, is due to the non-respect of construction rules and steps provided by the design of the project, by the contractor. The contractor will assume the full cost of all the measures which are taken to restore the consequences of this failure and to ensure the follow up of works in safety.

The Greek Authorities responsible for the construction of the Athens Metro must have proceeded to all the necessary studies, including soil investigations and soil protection measures, for the tendering and contracting of the projects of the Athens Metro. The Commission has no evidence that this is not the case.

(1) OJ L 187, 20.7.1999.

(2) COM(2001) 370 final.