WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4013/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Dublin's light railway system, Luas
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: EU financing, European Regional Development Fund, Leinster, carriage of passengers, national transport, public transport, underground railway

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/109

Glass eels are caught as they migrate up rivers on the final leg of their migration from the Sargasso Sea. The
competence of managing glass eel fisheries has up to now lain primarily with Member States and a range of
national  control  measures  exist,  depending  on  the  traditional  patterns  of  exploitation  and  use.  Five  Member
States ban commercial fishing for glass eels and elvers, while a regional ban exists in a sixth Member State. In the
southern Member States where there is a tradition of consuming smaller eels, glass eel fishing is permitted but
controls are applied to fishing gear, open season or fishing and dealing licences.

A  recently  completed  report  on  management  of  the  European  eel  (concerted  action  of  the  agricultural  and
agro-industry research programme (AIR) A94-1939) has shown that returns of glass eels have fallen. This is a
matter of concern and the Commission in September 1997 requested the International Council for the exploration
of the sea (ICES) to provide advice on possible management actions to ensure a sustainable development of the
eel  fisheries  within  the  Community.  This  advice  should  be  provided  in  1998  and  any  possible  proposal  on
management measures, including restocking, will be deferred until then.

The Commission will, on the basis of the analyses mentioned above and any other assessment data necessary,
take any action it deems appropriate to restrict exports of elvers from the Community. World Trade Organisation
rules would have to be respected.

(98/C 187/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4013/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Dublin(cid:146)s light railway system, Luas

What amount of EU funds has been allocated to financing preparatory work on the Ballymun line of the Luas,
Dublin(cid:146)s planned light railway system?

How much has the EU allocated so far on preparatory work on the entire Luas project?

Does it intend to allocate any further funding for such preparatory work in the foreseeable future?

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

(6 February 1998)

Under the Transport operational programme (1994-1999) it is proposed to cofinance 216 MECU of expenditure
on the LUAS project at an aid rate of 65% (i.e. a European regional development fund grant of 140 MECU).
Furthermore, following the recent mid term review (MTR) of the Irish Community support framework (CSF) it
was agreed to allocate an additional 10 MECU towards financing preparatory work on the third LUAS line to
Ballymun.

The most recent figures available on this project relate to expenditure up to 5 October 1997. Up to this date, total
cofinanced expenditure of 20.471 MECU has been incurred with respect to preparatory work on the entire LUAS
project, of which 0.045 MECU relates to the Ballymun line. An additional figure of 0.082 MECU non cofinanced
expenditure relates to preparatory work on the extension to Sandyford.

Following the MTR, it has been agreed that the CSF monitoring committee will make a definitive decision on this
project in the spring of 1998. Until this time therefore, when the project is to be reviewed and a decision taken,
preparatory planning and design work on the LUAS project will continue to be financed.