WRITTEN QUESTION E-0048/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Aid for Groupement Européen de Recherches Technologiques sur les Hydrocarbures.
Date: 2001-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Economic Interest Grouping, France, hydrocarbon, research and development

C 261 E/34

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

The Commission is thus following developments relevant to the assessment of the possible link between
cases of ill-health among those who have carried out missions in the Balkans and the use of depleted
Uranium in missiles fired on targets in the region. Among the principle sources of information is the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which has carried out a sampling campaign in the region,
the results of which be available in March 2001.

(2001/C 261 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0048/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 January 2001)

Subject: Aid for Groupement EuropØen de Recherches Technologiques sur les Hydrocarbures

In her answer to written question E-1041/00 (1), Mrs de Palacio says that since 1990 the Commission has
provided Groupement EuropØen de Recherches Technologiques sur les Hydrocarbures with total aid
amounting to € 49 455 924. As a result, the latter has received ca. 62 % of EU aid for the French oil
industry.

1. Who submitted successive requests for subsidies on behalf of
Recherches Technologiques sur les Hydrocarbures to the Commission?

the Groupement EuropØen de

2. When was the first request for a subsidy submitted by it to the Commission?

3. Who carries out checks on the Groupement EuropØen de Recherches Technologiques sur les
Hydrocarbures (shareholders, holdings in other undertakings, composition of the board of management)?

4. What projects did the Groupement EuropØen de Recherches Technologiques sur les Hydrocarbures
carry out in the period 1990-1998?

(1) OJ C 46 E, 13.2.2001, p. 110.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

1.
The list of companies submitting the different requests for subsidies to the Commission on behalf of
the Groupement europØen de recherches technologiques sur les hydrocarbures is being sent directly to the
Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

The first request for subsidy for the Groupement europØen de recherches technologiques sur les

2.
hydrocarbures (GERTH) was submitted in 1975.

3.

GERTH can be defined as the following:

GERTH is an economic interest grouping (GIE) governed by the order of 23 September 1967
(statutory order promulgated by the French authorities authorising the creation of an economic
interest grouping).

Created in 1974,
following members:

le Groupe de recherches technologiques sur les hydrocarbures is made up of the

(cid:129) ELF Aquitaine, Tour Elf 2, Place la Coupole, La DØfense 6, F-92400 Courbevoie (No RCS Nanterre

B555120784);

(cid:129) Totalfina SA, 2, Place la Coupole, La DØfense (cid:129) F-92400 Courbevoie (No RCS Nanterre

B542051180);

(cid:129) Institut Fran(cid:231)ais du PØtrole (IFP) 1-4, Avenue de Bois PrØau (cid:129) F-92500 Rueil-Malmaison.

18.9.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/35

The list of its administrators, the name of its management auditor and of its board of management are
being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

GERTH operates as follows: the grouping co-ordinate administrative and financial queries on projects of a
scientific nature.

GERTH is involved in the preparation of projects and in the dissemination of results.

Lists of the projects carried out by GERTH between 1990 and 1998 are being sent directly to the

4.
Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(2001/C 261 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0051/01

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 January 2001)

Subject: Environmental impact of the construction of a road in Arouca (Portugal)

A call to tender is about to be issued for the construction of a road to create the Feira/IC2/Arouca link in
the district of Aveiro in Portugal.

It will be an essential road link and the Portuguese Government has submitted or will be submitting an
application to the Commission to fund the project.

However, the route of the road, in particular a section approximately two kilometres long in the valley of
the river Arda, is facing great opposition, not least from various local organisations, since it will clearly
have an adverse effect on the environment and landscape.

Furthermore, an environmental impact assessment already carried out indicates that in the section of the
route referred to the occupation of the land alongside the river Arda will have a significant impact.

Nevertheless, not only are the authorities insisting on building the section of road, but have found a way
of circumventing national and Community legislation on the subject, which in particular make environ-
mental impact studies compulsory. This is the only explanation for the fact that a separate project for a
distance of 9,9 kilometres (which includes the disputed section) is being drawn up, even though it is part
of a road the total length of which is more than 30 kilometres.

In view of the above, can the Commission say:

1. whether or not it already knows about this situation and whether or not it has received an application

for funding for the project;

2. how it intends to react in view of the environmental impact of building this stretch of road; whether
or not it will make funding for it subject to consideration of the environmental impact studies carried
out on it, and whether it accepts that the road project is being split up to prevent these studies from
being taken into account?

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

(7 March 2001)

The Feira/IC2/Arouca road construction project is the subject of a complaint lodged with the Commission.
It is being investigated at present. If it is found that there has been an infringement of Community
legislation, the Commission will obviously draw the necessary conclusions with regard to future Com-
munity funding.