WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/00 by Paulo Casaca (PSE), Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR), Margie Sudre (PPE-DE), Roy Perry (PPE-DE), Mariotto Segni (UEN) and Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission. Islands.
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: island region, trans-European network

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/7

Despite this, it would appear that, on the whole, this provision of the Treaty has not been implemented in
the case of islands.

Could the Commission supply a list of TEN projects (in the areas of transport, energy or telecommunica-
tions) which have benefited one or other of the islands of the European Union?

Given that the Commission has submitted a report to Parliament and the Council on the revision of the
guidelines for TENs, could it also say which projects concerning islands are likely to be declared eligible?

Lastly, could the Commission also say what measures it intends to propose in order that in future a higher
priority may be given, in the framework of TENs, to improving the links between islands and the central
regions of the Community?

(2001/C 151 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/00

by Paulo Casaca (PSE), Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR),
Margie Sudre (PPE-DE), Roy Perry (PPE-DE), Mariotto Segni (UEN)
and Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Islands

Article 154 of the Treaty, on trans-European networks, makes explicit reference to (cid:145)the need to link island,
landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community(cid:146).

It seems, however, that in the case of islands, very little has been done to put this into effect.

Can the Commission give a list of TEN projects (involving transport, energy or telecommunications) that
have benefited the European Union(cid:146)s islands to date?

At a time when the Commission is presenting Parliament and the Council with a report on the revision of
TEN guidelines, could the Commission give a list of the projects concerning islands that are likely to be
declared eligible?

Could it also say what proposals it has in mind so that in future greater priority is given within the TEN
framework to strengthening links between the islands and the Community(cid:146)s central regions?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2446/00 and E-2466/00
given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 2000)

Many trans-European transport (TEN) projects,
in energy, transport and telecommunications, concern
islands. For transport and energy, the projects are identified in the guidelines for the development of the
trans-European transport network (1) and in the guidelines for the development of the trans-European
energy network (2). For transport, the most important projects for islands are generally those for ports and
airports. For energy, the list of projects of common interest includes the introduction of natural gas and
electricity connections by submarine cable to some islands.
islands are directly or
indirectly addressed in most of the projects as telecommunications by definition link the different regions
in Europe. Particular examples exist in projects dealing with tele-medicine, and tele-education aimed at
reaching remotely located citizens, and in projects dealing with emergency management.

In TEN-Telecom,

C 151 E/8

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

In order to receive Community financial support, projects must first be agreed by national administrations.
The full list of projects that have received financial support from the TEN budget can be found in the
annual report on the TENs which is sent to Parliament. However, it should be noted that most of the
financing of TEN projects in islands comes from the structural funds and Cohesion fund, as well as from
national authorities. The information available on these projects can be found in the annual report on the
Cohesion fund and the annual list of structural fund projects over € 50 million, both of which are sent to
the Parliament.

The Commission is currently preparing a report to revise the TEN-Transport guidelines, in which it will
propose to continue to support TEN projects in islands. For TEN-Energy, the Commission will underline
the importance of developing renewable energies, especially in islands, and linking the production units for
these energies to interconnected networks. The revision of the TEN-Telecom guidelines will only start
from September 2000. As the selection of TEN-Telecom projects is through open calls for proposals, there
are no specific elegibility criteria for projects related to islands. However, a better dissemination of the
support available for projects in islands at the different (European and national) TEN-Telecom information
days could help to strengthen links with islands.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(2) OJ L 161, 29.6.1996.

(2001/C 151 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2484/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Meetings with third countries during the French Presidency

Could the Council please list all the meetings planned with third countries during the French

1.
Presidency and provide an estimate of the total cost of those meetings?

Could it also provide details of the total costs of meetings with third countries under the Portuguese

2.
Presidency in 2000 and under the German and Finnish Presidencies in 1999?

Reply

(22 December 2000)

1.

The meetings planned with third countries during the French Presidency are as follows:

Heads of State or Government

(cid:129) EU/Japan Summit, Tokyo, 19 July;

(cid:129) EU/Ukraine Summit, Paris, 15 September;

(cid:129) ASEM III Summit, Seoul, 21 October;

(cid:129) EU/China Summit, Beijing, 23 October;

(cid:129) EU/Russia Summit, Paris, 30 October;

(cid:129) Euro-Mediterranean Summit, Marseilles, 15 and 16 November;

(cid:129) European Conference, Nice, 7 December;

(cid:129) EU/United States Summit, Washington, 18 December;

(cid:129) EU/Canada Summit, Ottawa, 19 December;

(cid:129) EU/Western Balkans Summit (proposal).