WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3927/98 by Paul LANNOYE to the Commission. A 41 Annecy-Geneva motorway
Date: 1999-01-04
Institutions: European Parliament, LANNOYE
Subjects: EU control, European Commission, France, application of EU law, exchange of information, public contract, road building, transport policy, works contract

C 207/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.7.1999

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 1999)

The tariff and statistical nomenclature currently has three headings referring to truffles: 0709 52 (‘fresh’
truffles), 0712 30 (mushrooms and truffles, provisionally preserved but unsuitable in that state for immediate
consumption) and 2003 20 (truffles, prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid).

The volumes and value of trade in the goods of codes 0709 52 and 2003 20 are fairly low, at EUR 270 000
and EUR 140 000 respectively (1997). In the case of the mushrooms and truffles of code 0712 30 the value of
imports is a higher EUR 66 million. Though it is not possible to divide the statistics between mushrooms and
truffles, the fact that the output of a valuable item like the truffle cannot be high suggests that truffles do not
account for a large proportion of the amount in question.

Because (i) the Commission has embarked on simplifying and modernising the tariff and statistical
nomenclature and (ii) increases in the number of statistical headings place an added administrative burden
on companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), further subdivision to separate truffles
and mushrooms does not seem an appropriate step.

(1999/C 207/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3927/98

by Paul Lannoye (V) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: A 41 Annecy-Geneva motorway

Earlier this year, the French Minister of Transport, Mr Jean-Claude Gayssot, suspended work on the
construction of the A 41 Annecy-Geneva motorway in order to allow the proper signature of the contract
with the construction company. There are, however, reasons to believe that for the A 41 Annecy-Geneva
motorway project, European legislation regarding public investment (e.g. Directives 89/440 (1) and 93/37 (2)
has not been applied at all or at least not in a correct manner.

I should therefore like to know:

1. whether the French Government has issued a European ‘call for tender’ with respect to the building of the
A 41 motorway as required under Directive 89/440/EEC, which had to be transposed by July 1990,

2. whether there has been any exchange of letters between the Commission and the French Government
about the A 41 motorway and the choice of the company, Autoroute et Tunnel du Mont Blanc (ATMB),
which was already responsible for the Tunnel and the ‘white motorway’ (A 40 motorway),

3. whether the Commission considers that the French Government has applied European legislation on

public investment in a proper way?

(1) OJ L 210, 21.7.1989, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993, p. 54.

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 1999)

The question of whether the system of motorway concessions in France is compatible with Community law on
public works contracts is currently the subject of a thorough investigation by the Commission, along with the
compatibility of the systems in the other Member States which are in a similar situation.

In recent months the Commission and the French authorities have discussed this issue on several occasions,
and as a result the latter have undertaken to provide certain information and explanations that have proved to
be necessary for this investigation. The Commission is waiting to have all the material available before deciding
what action should be taken.