WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2288/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. EU funding for Dublin Port Tunnel
Date: 1997-07-02
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, EU aid, EU financial instrument, EU financing, European Regional Development Fund, Ireland, engineering structure, road building

C 82/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 3. 98

Following the adoption of these decisions, consents will be granted by France allowing the placing on the market
of these products so that they can be used like any other traditionally bred swede rape. The placing on the market
of food and food ingredients containing, consisting of or derived from the genetically modified organisms in
question falls under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 on novel food and novel food ingredients (2).

In  line  with  the  precautionary  principle  on  which  Directive  90/220/EEC  on  the  deliberate  release  into  the
environment of genetically modified organisms (3) is based, the applicant provided all the necessary data and
information to assess the potential impact on human health and the environment of the release of the products in
question. The dossier submitted included studies on the seed germination ability of the transgenic B94-2 oilseed
rape line, the response of transgenic spring oilseed rape lines to agronomic inputs, monitoring residual effects in
previous transgenic oilseed rape field trials, detailed observations of insects foraging transgenic PGS oilseed
rape plants, an oilseed rape seed digestion experiment, the oilseed rape seed quality analysis of B94-2, a detailed
oil and cake characterization of a benchtop processed transgenic oilseed rape hybrid, the detailed oilseed rape
seed analysis of transgenic and non-transgenic oilseed rape, a phospho amino transfers (PAT) essay carried out
on oilfree transgenic oilseed rape seeds, and the consumption of honey produced by honey bees foraging on
transgenic oilseed rape.

The  two  decisions  were  adopted  following  a  favourable  opinion  by  qualified  majority  from  the  regulatory
committee established under Directive 90/220/EEC.

(1)  OJ L 164, 21.6.1997.
(2)  OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(3)  OJ L 117, 8.5.1990.

(98/C 82/95)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2288/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(2 July 1997)

Subject: EU funding for Dublin Port Tunnel

How  much  funding  have  the  Irish  authorities  sought  to  date  from  the  European  Union  for  the  design  and
construction of the proposed Dublin Port Tunnel?

How much has been allocated to date by the EU to this project? Have any decisions for further funding been
made and are further payments likely in the foreseeable future?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 1997)

On 9 June 1995, the Commission received an application from the Irish government requesting 3.51 MECU in
assistance  from  the  Cohesion  fund  for  part  of  the  pre-construction  phase  of  the  proposed  Dublin  port  access
route. On 18 December 1995, the Commission approved a grant of 3.19 MECU from the Cohesion fund for the
project. This decision covered only the planning and design elements of the application and excluded an amount
requested for land purchase. It did not cover any type of construction expenditure.

On  30  January  1996,  the  Irish  government  requested  that  the  amount  of  assistance  should  be  increased  to
5.85 MECU and on 9 December 1996 the Commission approved a modification of the initial decision which
raised  the  Cohesion  fund  contribution  to  the  project  to  the  amount  requested.  There  was  no  change  in  the
elements of the project covered by this second decision (land purchase and construction were not included).

The amount of 5.85 MECU is the total committed to the project by the Commission from the Cohesion fund. An
amount  of  ECU  187  500  had  been  granted  to  the  project  before  9  June  1995  from  the  European  regional
development fund and this funding was also used for the planning and design phase. These two amounts are the
total sum of grant aid from Community financial instruments to the project.

The Irish government has not requested any additional assistance for the design and planning phase nor for any
subsequent phase. Since no further application for assistance has been received, the question of further decisions
by the Commission about grant aid to the project does not arise.