WRITTEN QUESTION P-0304/01 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. Mont Blanc tunnel.
Date: 2001-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Alpine Region, carriage of goods, common transport policy, environmental protection, free movement of goods, transport safety, tunnel

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/83

The Commission is currently investigating the file, taking into account the conservation value of the site,
and the elements supplied by the Greek authorities in their reply. A clear position on this issue is expected
very soon.

With regard to the question of funding, the Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member
that the Greek authorities have not requested any Community financing for the above-mentioned project.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 261 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0304/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(2 February 2001)

Subject: Mont Blanc tunnel

It is planned to reopen the Mont Blanc road tunnel, one of the main routes through the Alps forming part
of the trans-European network, during the second half of this year.

However, local inhabitants are concerned, based on predictions that goods traffic through the Alps will
increase substantially in the coming years, that reopening the tunnel will cause serious damage to the
environment, in breach of the Alpine Convention, which the European Union has ratified and to which a
protocol on the sensitive issue of transport was added a few months ago.

Two options seem to be emerging, the first involving a total ban on heavy goods vehicles and the second a
quota system, together with the safety measures for the tunnel made necessary in the wake of the review
conducted following the accident.

What information is available on likely increases in goods traffic through the Alps in future years, and
what are the Commission(cid:146)s views on the transport protocol to the Alpine Convention and on the two
possible options of banning heavy goods vehicles or introducing quotas for them?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 2001)

The Commission is fully aware of the environmental concerns over alpine corridors but notes that actions
must be balanced to take into account economic needs. The Mont Blanc is one of the most crucial transit
routes through the Alps. It is a good example showing that appropriate action is needed (cid:129) both on rail
and road (cid:129) to protect the environment while ensuring the free movement of goods. The principle of free
movement of goods does not allow for a total ban on heavy goods vehicles, even if the Commission fully
recognises that the free movement of goods and sustainable transport have to go hand in hand. Neither
can the Commission lend support to solutions that are (cid:145)quota-based(cid:146), as Community legislation makes
international carriage of goods by road conditional on the possession of a quota-free Community transport
authorisation (1). Rather, the Commission has promoted in the past and will continue to promote, a series
of coherent measures that aim at reducing the negative effects of road traffic throughout the Community.
Such an ambitious goal can only be reached by a coherent package of complementary measures, including,
inter alia, technical standards (improving environmental and safety requirements, notably in tunnels),
infrastructure investments, pricing instruments (aligning transport charges with the real cost of transport in

C 261 E/84

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

all modes) as well as measures to increase the efficiency of the transport system (especially by optimising
intermodality) and strengthen the competitiveness of rail transport in general. The Commission is in
particular committed to support the priority project between Lyon and Turino on the trans-European
transport network and has already provided up to € 60 million for the project, which amounts to 50 % of
the studies carried out so far. This future tunnel-based rail link will contribute to reducing road freight
traffic in the Alps.

In the view of the Commission the transport protocol to the Alpine Convention provides a framework,
based on the precautionary principle, the preventive principle and the polluter-pays principle, for ensuring
sustainable mobility and protection of the environment, for all modes of transport, in the Alpine region.
The Commission considers that by signing the Protocol on the Implementation of the Alpine Convention
in the field of Transport, the Community would give an important political signal to all parties that
signature and ratification of the Protocol should be a priority. That is why the Commission has recently
made a proposal for a Council Decision on the signature of this Protocol (2).

Concerning statistics on freight traffic in the Alpine Arc, the average annual growth between 1993 and
1998 is estimated at 3,8 %. The Commission is aware of several forecasts that estimate the resulting annual
freight traffic growth as varying from 2 % to 5 %, depending on the assumptions. This expected growth
shows the necessity to make sure that the Lyon-Turino tunnel enters into operation as soon as possible.

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 881/92 of 26 March 1992 on access to the market in the carriage of goods by road
within the Community to or from the territory of a Member State or passing across the territory of one or more
Member States (OJ L 95, 9.4.1992).

(2) COM(2001) 18 final.

(2001/C 261 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0310/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: Construction of small dams and other irrigation projects in Greece

Can the Commission provide information on the extent to which, under the new Structural Funds
regulations, measures for the creation of small dams, water reservoirs and other irrigation projects are
considered eligible? How many proposals has it received from the Greek Government for such projects? If
it has, in fact, received any proposals of this kind, how does it intend to proceed?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2001)

The projects mentioned by the Honourable Member such as small dams, hill catchments and other projects
to collect surface water for use in irrigation, as drinking water or for mixed use are eligible under the
Structural Funds.

The concept of eligibility must, however,
include the conformity of any project with objective and
transparent selection criteria laid down in advance by the managing authority for each operational
programme. These criteria will, as far as possible, be coordinated at the level of the Community support
framework and will have to be met for each project part-financed. Moreover, before the end of the period
2000-2008 (programming period plus two years to settle payments), each project part-financed must
demonstrate that it has made a specific contribution to the development of the Member State for it to
preserve its eligibility.