WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1400/98 by Antonios TRAKATELLIS to the Commission. Cohesion Fund and the project: 'Water supply to Thessaloniki from the river Aliakmon'
Date: 1998-04-28
Institutions: European Parliament, TRAKATELLIS
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Greece, economic support, project management, water supply

C 354/96

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 11. 98

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 1998)

Several Member States have mechanisms equivalent to the Criminal injuries compensation board in the United
Kingdom.  All  Member  States  have  some  form  of  compensation  scheme  or  authority  dealing  with  issues
pertaining to compensation to victims of crime. The Commission is currently through its Grotius programme
financing studies investigating various aspects of the differences and similarities of the 15 national regimes in
this field, and will be receiving results from these studies before the end of the year.

The Commission does not exclude legislative proposals to aid crime victims in Europe, although it is too early to
say what measures or combinations of measures would be the more appropriate.

(98/C 354/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1400/98

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE) to the Commission

(28 April 1998)

Subject: Cohesion Fund and the project: (cid:145)Water supply to Thessaloniki from the river Aliakmon(cid:146)

Project  94/09/61/005  entitled  (cid:145)Water  supply  to  Thessaloniki  from  the  river  Aliakmon(cid:146)  was  included  in  the
projects  funded  under  the  Cohesion  Fund  in  1995.  Commission  communication  (96/C  244/03)  regarding
decisions to grant financial assistance under Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 establishing a Cohesion Fund (1) states
that the operational phase of the project is scheduled to begin on 1.8.1998, while the main works are due to be
completed  on  31.12.1998.  Given  that  Thessaloniki  already  faces  a  water  shortage  and  that  elevated  areas  in
particular suffer cuts in water supplies, will the Commission say.

1.  What stage has construction work reached and when is it due to be completed?

2.  What assistance is the EU providing and how much has been allocated so far?

3.  Will there be any delays in the completion of the project and, if so, for what reason?

4.  Have there been any problems or shortcomings in the construction work and, if so, which ones have been
identified  and  what  measures  will  be  taken  to  ensure  that  the  funds  that  have  been  made  available  to
complete the project are actually used?

(1)  OJ L 130, 25.5.1994, p. 1.

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

(26 May 1998)

1.
Two thirds of the works have been commenced: most progress has been achieved in the completion of
works for conveying water from the Axios river to the Sindos pumping station. One third of the works is at the
final design and call for tenders stage. The Greek authorities plan to complete the project by the end of 1999.

2.

Community assistance amounts to ECU 80.8 million, of which ECU 13.6 million has already been granted.

The date for the completion of the work and the entry into service of the project have been set back one year

3.
at the request of the Greek authorities, mainly because of delays in awarding the contracts.

4.
The Commission is monitoring the implementation of this project closely. To that end, it has asked the
Greek authorities to draw up a plan for the management of water resources in the Thessaloniki region, to detect
and repair leaks in the supply network, to assess the design of that part of the project constructed previously, to
consider  means  of  protecting  the  Axios  syphon,  and  to  look  into  ways  of  treating  and  storing  residues  from
filtered water. A start has been made on most of this work.