WRITTEN QUESTION P-1567/01 by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission. Corridor VIII.
Date: 2001-05-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Türkiye, protocol to an agreement, transport network

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/239

What measures will it take to ensure that the law on environmental impact assessment is complied with?

What does it intend to do to ensure that the environmental damage already perpetrated on the (cid:145)Ribera del
r(cid:237)o Henares(cid:146) site (destruction of groundwater and consequent reduction in water supply; deafforestation) is
paid for and the original environmental conditions restored?

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 30.

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

(20 June 2001)

As indicated in its reply to Written Question E-3712/00 by Mr Lannoye, the Commission contacted the
Spanish authorities in the course of its examination of a complaint regarding the said road project.

The Commission asked the Spanish authorities to comment on the application in this particular instance of
Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and
private projects on the environment (1), as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2), so
that it might determine whether the project is likely to have a significant effect on the site in question in
respect of the objectives of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural
habitats and of wild fauna and flora (3), in which case the procedure laid down in Article 6 thereof must be
applied.

The Commission is currently examining the Spanish authorities(cid:146) reply. It would clearly be premature,
therefore, to express any opinion as to whether Community law has been improperly applied in this
particular case.

Should Community law not have been observed, the Commission reserves the right to ask the Spanish
authorities to repay the co-financing which was granted.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.
(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 340 E/275)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1567/01

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

(17 May 2001)

Subject: Corridor VIII

Can the Commission say whether the protocol has been signed by participating countries and the
Commission and whether the technical study has been launched on the status of infrastructure and on
priority requirements? What type of financial assistance, and how much, has the project already received
from all participants?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2001)

The Commission strongly supports the development of all of the pan-European transport corridors by
negotiating with the associated parties and taking all of the political, technical and financial initiatives
needed in order to promote a background that is more favourable to transport activities on the European
scene.

C 340 E/240

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

In this connection the Commission, together with the Italian chairmanship of Corridor No VIII (cid:129) the
Italian Minister for Transport and Navigation (cid:129) has actively participated, during the previous months in
the activities enabling the memorandum of understanding of that Corridor to be finalised. Those activities
have aimed, particularly, at helping the countries involved (cid:129) namely Albania, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (FYRM), Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Turkey (cid:129) to reach a final compromise on the
wording of the MoU.

A agreement on virtually all of the wording was reached in Rome in early July 2000. Some differences still
remain and a memorandum of understanding has still not been signed despite the Commission(cid:146)s urging the
countries concerned to do so.

In view of the absence of a memorandum of understanding it has not been possible so far to launch any
specific study for Corridor III.

Hitherto each country, acting at national level, has implemented projects on Corridor VIII, which are
funded from various sources. However, those projects do not currently form part of any joint effort that is
coordinated by an MoU.

When the MoU has been signed and the technical study launched it will be possible to have an overall,
detailed knowledge of the situation as regards the Corridor VIII projects, including the nature and amounts
involved in the financial support.

(2001/C 340 E/276)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1583/01

by Anne Jensen (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 June 2001)

Subject: EU-wide invitation to tender for church organs

Danish organ manufacturers are in difficult economic circumstances, one reason for this being that they
are not competing on a level playing field. The Danish national church is inviting tenders for church
organs from throughout the EU, while the churches in Sweden and Germany, for instance, will not be
doing so.

The Danish national church buys organs by means of small contributions from members of the church
via a special church tax which is set in line with the church(cid:146)s financial requirements in the relevant
deanery. The local tax administration is responsible for collecting the church tax which is divided between
the individual parishes. The locally elected parish council in practice decides and administers the purchase
of the organs within the constraints set by the authorities, e.g. having regard to historical values. In
principle, the same process applies in Germany and Sweden, where a church tax is levied and administered
by the public tax authorities, the funds being distributed to the individual parishes, which are responsible
for purchasing organs.

This practice of inviting tenders throughout the EU often prevents Danish organ manufacturers from
bidding for contracts in Sweden and Germany, while they are exposed to competition on the domestic
market from foreign producers who may have a home market with no free competition.

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, is this situation in keeping with the philosophy underlying the development of
the internal market in the EU?

Can the Commission explain why this discrimination occurs? Will the Commission take steps to ensure
that competition takes place on equal terms in this sector?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2001)

Whether contracts for the purchase of organs, the value of which is above the threshold, are subject to
Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating procedures for the award of public supply