WRITTEN QUESTION P-1237/00 by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission. Sweden's position in relation to EMU under the Treaties.
Date: 2000-04-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sweden, application of EU law, euro area

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/111

The project poses a particularly serious problem for the following reasons:

1. At the same time as it was studying the application for hydroelectricity production (already at a fairly
advanced stage), the Galician government(cid:146)s environmental department, by decision of 28 October
1999, designated the Ulla-Deza river system a natural area which should enjoy general protection with
a view to its inclusion in the Natura 2000 network;

2. The river area is covered by the Leader-Protodemouras (I, II) programme, which receives Community
funding with a view to enhancing the area(cid:146)s rural and ecological tourism potential. The destruction of
this key natural site (which provided the justification for the investment under the Leader II
Community initiative) would constitute fraud against the European Union;

3. The project also constitutes a serious threat to the area(cid:146)s historical and cultural heritage, in particular
the site of the Romanesque monastery at Carboeiro, which is situated near the Way of St James;

4.

From the point of view of energy production, the Ulla project is irrelevant for Galicia, where much
larger hydroelectric power stations are already in operation.

Can the Commission take the necessary steps with a view to ensuring that the Spanish state and the
Galician government prevent the destruction of the Ulla-Deza river basin and investigating the possible use
of Community funds in financing the Uni(cid:243)n Fenasa S.A. hydroelectricity project?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2000)

The Commission was not aware of the situation to which the Honourable Member refers.

The Ulla-Deza river system has been identified by the Spanish authorities as a site of Community
importance for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992
on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. (1)

The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities for their observations in order to determine whether
the project is likely to have a significant impact on the site in view of the objectives of the said Directive,
in which case the provisions of Article 6 thereof must be applied.

In any event, as guardian of the Treaties the Commission will take the necessary measures to ensure that
Community law is complied with in the case in question.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 53 E/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1237/00

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(10 April 2000)

Subject: Sweden(cid:146)s position in relation to EMU under the Treaties

At a press conference in Stockholm on 3 April, Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said that a (cid:145)no(cid:146) vote
in a referendum on EMU in Sweden would not in any way affect Sweden(cid:146)s obligations under the Treaties.
The Commissioner(cid:146)s statement may be seen as representing a change of position in comparison with
previous statements by the Commission, which indicated that, under the Treaties, Sweden did not have the
right to remain outside monetary union.

Can the Commission clarify its official position on Sweden(cid:146)s obligations under the Treaties in relation to
monetary union?

C 53 E/112

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(12 May 2000)

The Commission position on Sweden(cid:146)s statutory relationship to the EC Treaty remains unchanged. The
status for Sweden in relation to economic and monetary union is at present a Member State with a
derogation.

In the convergence report of 1998, Sweden and Greece were assessed as not fulfilling the necessary
conditions for the adaptation of the single currency and are therefore referred to as Member States with a
derogation. A new convergence report
for Sweden and Greece will be published in May 2000.
Article 122(2) (ex Article 109k) of the EC Treaty lays down provisions and procedures for re-examining
the situation of Member States with a derogation. At least every two years, or at the request of a Member
State with a derogation, the Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) are required to prepare
new convergence reports on such Member States.

Two other Member States, Denmark and the United Kingdom, do not yet participate in the euro. They
negotiated opt-out arrangements before the adoption of
the Treaty on European Union (Protocols
No 26(ex 12) and 25 (ex 11), respectively). Until these Member States indicate that they wish to participate
in the third stage to join the single currency, they are not subject to an assessment by the Council as to
whether they fulfil the necessary conditions.

(2001/C 53 E/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1245/00

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 April 2000)

Subject: Turin-Lyon railway line

On 21 February 2000 Fran(cid:231)ois Lamoureux, Director in the Commission(cid:146)s Directorate-General for Energy
and Transport, wrote to the Secretary-General of the development committee of the European Lyon-Turin-
Milan/Genoa-Venice-Trieste-Ljubljana railway line, Professor Bruno Bottiglieri, saying that he fully agreed
with the analysis of the benefits of the project in terms of capacity, safety and reliability.

Given that, despite the more than € 60 million allocated by the Community to the Trans-Alpine link
between Turin and Lyon over the past ten years, the project is far from having a certain and stable future,
can the Commission say what it is doing to ensure that a clear political decision is finally taken this year
on the next stages of implementation of the project and to clarify the responsibilities and degree of
involvement of the competent Ministry and Italian regions and local authorities in respect of completion of
the Lyon-Turin-Milan-Ljubljana rail link?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(25 May 2000)

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, the key short-term objective for accelerating the implementation of the Lyon-
Torino-Milano-Venezia-Trieste-(Ljubljana) project is the achievement of a political decision on construction
trans-Alpine section. At the Franco-Italian summit in N(cid:238)mes in 1999, the two
of the international
governments committed themselves to taking a definitive decision on the construction of the international
(cid:145)Mont Cenis(cid:146) tunnel in the autumn of 2000. The Commission will continue to urge both Member States to
reach a positive conclusion on this front, and to make commensurate planning statements concerning the
adjacent sections between Lyon and St Jean-de-Maurienne on the French side, and between the Susa valley
and Torino on the Italian side.

The decision on the tunnel must be taken on a sound basis. The Commission therefore expects that the
results of environmental, economic and technical studies undertaken by the international economic interest
group (cid:145)Alpetunnel(cid:146) should be delivered in time during the summer 2000.