WRITTEN QUESTION No. 448/98 by Gerardo BIANCO , Michl EBNER , Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI to the Council. Cavalese (Trento) tragedy
Date: 1998-02-27
Institutions: BIANCO, CASTAGNETTI, EBNER, European Parliament
Subjects: Eurocontrol, Italy, air safety, air traffic, civil aviation, man-made disaster, military aircraft

C 304/108

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

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

(31 March 1998)

As with the Structural Funds in general, the Interreg II (1) Community Initiative is implemented in accordance
with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity.  The  Commission  therefore  approved  multiannual  operational  programmes,
while the selection and approval of projects is left to the national, regional or local authorities, as appropriate.

Under Interreg II, the Commission has allocated ECU 484.7 million (in 1994 prices) to Spain for Interreg IIA
(development of the border areas and cross-border cooperation), ECU 80 million (in 1995 prices) for Interreg IIB
(construction of interconnectors between the Portuguese and Spanish gas grids) and ECU 116.1 million (in 1996
prices)  for  Interreg  IIC  (regional  planning),  including  approximately  ECU  10  million  for  transnational
cooperation projects and ECU 106 million to alleviate drought.

Spain is currently involved in several cross-border or transnational operational programmes (OPs) in receipt of
the above Community funding, namely:

›  OP  for  Spain-France,  total  volume:  approximately  ECU  140  million;  total  Community  contribution:

ECU 1.6 million;

›  OP  for  Spain-Portugal,  total  volume:  approximately  ECU  755  million;  total  Community  contribution:

ECU 52.0 million;

›  OP for Spanish regions bordering Morocco, total volume: approximately ECU 185 million; total Community

contribution: ECU 100.0 million;

›  OP for the Mediterranean and the French and Italian Alps, total volume: approximately ECU 23 million; total

Community contribution: ECU 13.3 million;

›  OP for South-West Europe, total volume: approximately ECU 10 million; total Community contribution:

ECU 5.2 million.

(1)  OJ C 180, 1.7.1994.

(98/C 304/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/98

by Gerardo Bianco (PPE), Michl Ebner (PPE) and Pierluigi Castagnetti (PPE) to the Council

Subject: Cavalese (Trento) tragedy

(27 February 1998)

On 3 February 1998 an American military plane cut the cables of the Mount Cermis, Cavalese, cable car, causing
the death of 20 people of six different nationalities. The plane was on a low-level training flight and is suspected
of violating the safety rules for such military operations

Does the Presidency intend to intervene vis-a‘-vis all commands of air forces operating over European territory
and take all the steps needed to ensure compliance with the safety standards laid down by flight regulations?

Answer

(4 June 1998)

The  Honourable  Members  are  certainly  well  aware  of  the  great  importance  the  Council  attaches  to  matters
regarding aviation safety.

With  the  aim  of  improving  standards,  the  European  Community  is  now  about  to  apply  for  membership  of
Eurocontrol with a view to establishing and implementing a mechanism for the multilateral development and
harmonisation of safety regulations in air traffic management. At the same time, the European Community is
studying the possibility of creating an European Aviation Safety Authority.

Regarding lessons to be drawn from the particular accident referred to by the Honourable Members, the Council
has not received any proposal from the Commission.