WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2461/98 by Honório NOVO to the Commission. Construction of quays at the mouth of the river Douro
Date: 1998-07-30
Institutions: European Parliament, NOVO
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, EU financing, Portugal, engineering structure, inland waterway shipping, project evaluation, transport infrastructure

C 135/60

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

The Community is of the opinion that this ruling is likely to enhance the debate on the wider trade
4.
and environment relationship in the WTO committee on trade and environment, where the Community has
consistently argued that multilaterally agreed measures should benefit from a preferential treatment
vis-à-vis WTO rules. Some of the arguments found in the panel report would however require some
further clarification by the appellate body.

The Commission believes that the above considerations demonstrate that the Community intervention in
this case has been guided by a genuine interest in devising effective solutions to develop a more
harmonious relationship between commercial and environmental concerns and to preserve the scope for
accommodating trade-related environmental measures in the WTO.

(1) COM(96) 54 final.

(1999/C 135/069)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2461/98

by Honório Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Construction of quays at the mouth of the river Douro

(30 July 1998)

It was recently reported in the Portuguese media that the Commission had rejected co-financing under the
Cohesion Fund for the construction of quays at the mouth of the river Douro. It was also revealed that the
Commission had rejected such co-funding because the project did not comply with the priorities defined
by the Cohesion Fund. Can the Commission provide information on the following:

1. When did the Portuguese Government submit an application to the Cohesion Fund for the project to

construct quays at the mouth of the river Douro?

2. Given that an international river would be made navigable through this project, what is the
Commission’s justification for considering that the project does not comply with the priorities of
the Cohesion Fund?

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

(29 September 1998)

The request for aid concerning the project covering work in the estuary of the Douro river was submitted
to the Commission on 5 November 1996.

The project in question, which was analysed carefully by the Commission, was not considered as a priority
because the impact on the activities of the port of Leixões was marginal and its economic justification was
insufficiently established. The Douro river does not form part of the trans-European transport network and
projects connected with its navigability are not therefore eligible under the Cohesion Fund.

(1999/C 135/070)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2464/98

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(30 July 1998)

Subject: Anti-dumping tariffs for steel producers

I am very grateful for the answer of 11 June 1998 (P-1606/98) (1). Since the answer relates to measures
already taken for stainless steel screws, I am obliged to repeat my question to the Commission and point
out that it concerns steel screws in general.

1.

2.

Is the Commission planning to take such measures?

If so, how high will these tariffs be per tonne?