WRITTEN QUESTION E-2090/00 by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Euromed.
Date: 2000-06-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Andalusia, Region of Murcia, Structural Funds, aid system, rail transport, terms for aid

C 81 E/140

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

Article 18(6) of Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation
of working time provides that, every five years, the Commission shall submit to the Parliament, the
Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the application of the Directive in all
Member States.

The Commission is in the final stages of preparing this implementation report. Once the Commission has
adopted the report, it will transmit it to the Parliament.

(2001/C 81 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2090/00

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(28 June 2000)

Subject: Euromed

Is the Commission aware of the project for a high-speed train link (Euromed) to Almer(cid:237)a (Spain)?

Will this project be funded partly or wholly by the EU?

If there is to be EU funding, to which of the Community funds will it be charged and what sum will be
involved?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The extension of the so-called Euromed railway line to the city of Almer(cid:237)a through the region of Murcia is
mentioned in the Spanish regional development plan for objective 1 regions and is one of the most
important projects for the period 2000-2006 in the region of Andalusia. The project is also scheduled in
the Spanish infrastructure plan for the period 2000-2007. However, as negotiations on the Community
support framework for objective 1 structural fund support to Spain are still under way, it is not possible to
state yet whether the project will be supported in this context.

On the other hand, this line is not defined as Trans-European rail network (TEN) and is therefore not
eligible for funding under the Cohesion fund or the TEN-transport budget line.

(2001/C 81 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2092/00

by Reino Paasilinna (PSE) and Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Definition of a geographical market

(28 June 2000)

The Commission has taken a hard line in defining the concept of (cid:145)relevant markets(cid:146) when intervening in
the purchase of undertakings, mergers and certain types of agreement. The Commission has prohibited the
above-mentioned activities and has imposed conditions on them if they have had an influence on a
relevant product market or geographical market in such a way that a commanding market position is
created or strengthened. However, the Commission(cid:146)s interpretation of a (cid:145)relevant geographical market(cid:146)
diverges from the concept of a market as seen by business. Businesses understand a market area to mean
the sales area or area of
industry in which they operate. On what exactly is the Commission(cid:146)s
interpretation of a commanding market position based? How does it justify the fact that its definition
differs so radically from the concept of a market as seen by business?