WRITTEN QUESTION No. 985/98 by Ben FAYOT to the Commission. Railway connection between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg
Date: 1998-04-02
Institutions: European Parliament, FAYOT
Subjects: Alsace, Brussels region, Luxembourg, high-speed transport, length of journey, rail transport, trans-European network

C 354/48

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 11. 98

(98/C 354/85)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0971/98

by Robin Teverson (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 March 1998)

Subject: Payments of EU structural fund allocations to Member States

Would  the  Commission  please  indicate  how  and  when  it  pays  EU  structural  fund  allocations  to  the  Member
States? For example, does it pay the UK Government an annual sum in advance for ERDF, ESF, EAGGF and
FIFG,  or  does  the  UK  Government  claim  the  money  retrospectively  at  certain  times  during  the  programme?
I should be grateful for a detailed answer covering all four structural funds.

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

(14 May 1998)

The procedures for structural funds payments by the Commission to Member States are laid down in Article
21 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 as amended (1). The payments are made in relation to budgetary
commitments  at  Community  level  and  take  the  form  either  of  advances  or  of  final  payments  in  respect  of
expenditure  actually  incurred.  For  each  commitment  up  to  80%  may  be  paid  in  the  form  of  advances.
The payment of the balance is conditional on submission to the Commission of a satisfactory report on progress
with implementation of the programme concerned.

These provisions apply to all structural funds and to all Member States, which are responsible in turn for ensuring
that the final beneficiaries of the programmes receive payment as soon as possible.

(1)  OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(98/C 354/86)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0985/98

by Ben Fayot (PSE) to the Commission

(2 April 1998)

Subject: Railway connection between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg

These three major cities, two of them European capitals and all three European Parliament places of work, are
poorly served by rail. The train takes between 2 hrs 15 mins and 2 hrs 30 mins to complete the journey of scarcely
200  kilometres  between  Brussels  and  Luxembourg.  The  frequency  of  services  between  Luxembourg  and
Strasbourg is moreover extremely low.

Does the Commission not consider that the highly symbolic railway line joining these three European places of
work is worthy of a special investment effort by the Member States concerned and by the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 1998)

The Brussels-Luxembourg and Brussels-Strasbourg rail links are included in the planned high speed train (TGV)
routes  of  the  transport  trans-European  networks  (TEN-T).  This  means  that  their  strategic  importance  is
recognised by the Community, and that Member States are committed to upgrading the present conventional rail
services as resources permit. The French government has included the Metz-Luxembourg link in the first phase
of the TGV Est, one of the TEN-T priority projects. This and the other upgrading work would be eligible for
assistance from the TEN-T funds, should the Member States concerned wish to apply for it.