WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3380/97 by Carlos ROBLES PIQUER to the Commission. Aftermath of the euro and enlargement
Date: 1997-10-23
Institutions: European Parliament, ROBLES PIQUER
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, EU publication, Economic and Monetary Union, European Commission, European Union, Welfare State, economic policy, enlargement of the Union, social policy, social security

8. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174/49

(98/C 174/87)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3379/97

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission

(23 October 1997)

Subject: ALURE, Synergy, and Latin America

ALURE, the programme launched by the Commission to help rationalize and modernize Latin American energy
systems, has just completed its first year of operations. The aims of the programme are also covered in an area of
the Synergy programme.

Could  the  Commission  supply  the  essential  details  of  experiences  to  date,  with  particular  reference  to  the
development  of  renewable  energy  sources,  specifying  what  amounts  have  been  invested,  who  have  been  the
recipients, what experts have been recruited, and what has been the outcome of the initial stage?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Alure  (optimum  use  of  energy  resources  in  Latin  America)  is  an  economic  cooperation  programme  under
Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  443/92  of  25  February  1992  on  financial  and  technical  assistance  to  and
cooperation with Latin American developing countries (1). It establishes relations between Community and Latin
American power and gas companies and between investors from the two regions but does not get involved in
institutional  matters  unless  an  obstacle  to  business  ties  is  detected.  The  standard  size  of  projects  is  around
ECU 1 million, of which half comes from Alure.

Alure(cid:146)s consultative committee recommends a preselection of projects to the Commission which then makes the
final selection. Thirteen projects were selected for Phase I (1995-97) for a total of ECU 7 million in Community
contributions,  with  an  equivalent  amount  coming  from  consortia.  Whilst  eligible  projects  are  aimed  at
sustainable development Alure does not focus on the promotion of renewable energy. The Synergy programme is
situated  upstream  of  Alure  and  deals  with  energy  policy,  also  in  Latin  America.  The  customary  Community
contribution ranges from ECU 150 000 to ECU 200 000 for studies, seminars or consultancy activities.

Renewable energy forms part of Synergy(cid:146)s priorities in the context of European security of supply and protection
of  the  environment:  Synergy  has  cofinanced,  to  the  tune  of  ECU  220  000,  together  with  the  Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, a study on the region(cid:146)s geothermal potential and the obstacles
to its development. The outcome was the regional development plan to be discussed at Santiago de Chile from
10 to 12 November. Two Italian and French experts contributed to this work.

Relatively few cooperation schemes on energy policy cover the field of renewable energy where the demand
mainly concerns feasibility studies for projects.

(1)  OJ L 52, 27.2.1997.

(98/C 174/88)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/97

by Carlos Robles Piquer (PPE) to the Commission

(23 October 1997)

Subject: Aftermath of the euro and enlargement

Influential media voices once hardly in favour of the single European currency now acknowledge that it will
inevitably come into being. They also recognize that new Member States will join the Union. This development
is to be welcomed.