WRITTEN QUESTION E-1702/01 by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Funding for demonstration.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, England, cessation of trading, labour dispute

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/81

Accordingly, the Framework Programme for research and technological development, and its Non-Nuclear
Energy programme in particular, has supported a significant number of projects on the production and
storage of hydrogen or the development of fuel cells. Up to now, support given by the Commission in the
Fifth Framework Programme amounts to more than € 95 million, basically allocated to fuel cells, the
production and storage of hydrogen from different sources, the development of norms and standards,
safety, the distribution infrastructure, and the development and demonstration of fuel cell vehicles.

The Commission is currently supporting several
projects:

large-scale research and technological development

(cid:129) the FUERO project (total cost € 38 million, Community contribution € 21,3 million), is developing
components and systems for fuel cells and hydrogen-powered vehicles. 67 European organisations
from 13 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, France,
Italy, the Netherlands, Austria,
Sweden, Great Britain, Norway,
the Czech Republic and Israel) and several European motor
manufacturers are actively participating in FUERO;

(cid:129) the CUTE and ECTOS projects: 10 European cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London,
Luxembourg, Madrid, Oporto, Reykjavik, Stockholm, Stuttgart) are to introduce hydrogen as a fuel for
their public transport buses (using fuel cells). Each city will produce the hydrogen locally, build
hydrogen service stations and have three buses in commercial operation in their public transport
systems for two years;

(cid:129) the Commission is in the process of setting up several actions to study the feasibility of a Europe-wide
infrastructure for supplying hydrogen as fuel and the legal, economic, environmental, social and
organisational problems of setting up such a cross-border infrastructure.

(1) COM(2000) 769 final.

(2002/C 40 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1702/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Funding for demonstration

Could the Commission confirm whether or not any funds from any EU budget line were used to finance
any activity associated with the demonstration in May in London protesting about proposed
Marks & Spencer closure?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

The Commission has not granted any subsidy under budget line B3-4000 (Industrial Relations and Social
Dialogue), B3-4002 (Information and training measures
for workers(cid:146) organisations) or B3-4003
(Information, consultation and participation of representatives of undertakings) for any activity which
had the aim to organize or support a demonstration in May 2001 in London protesting about proposed
Marks & Spencer closure.

(2002/C 40 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1705/01

by Fernando FernÆndez Mart(cid:237)n (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Means of payment

The incidence of payment by credit card may be expected to increase considerably in the future: such
payment will be a key instrument in the transition to the euro, since it will be vital for consumers(cid:146)
payments and movements within the EU. However, in practice the banks oblige retailers to bear the costs