WRITTEN QUESTION E-2030/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Incorporation of Galicia in the trans-European high-speed rail networks.
Date: 2001-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Galicia, Portugal, common transport policy, high-speed transport, rail transport, trans-European network

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/49

A portion of the compensation under the new protocol will be allocated to targeted actions. These
4.
are agreed following a request by Mauritania and they are subjected to specific procedures and follow-up
by the Commission. Under this framework,
in principle, give favourable
consideration to a funding request by Mauritania to improve compliance with Community requirements
on health and plant-health requirements by non-industrial fishermen, in particular.

the Commission would,

The use of the financial compensation, with the exception of the targeted actions,

5.
exclusively by Mauritania, as a sovereign nation.

is decided

(2002/C 93 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2030/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Incorporation of Galicia in the trans-European high-speed rail networks

On 6 June 2001, in document E-1046/01 (1), Mrs Loyola de Palacio replied to my written question of
3 April 2001 on Galicia’s integration in the trans-European transport networks by means of high-speed
rail services following the statements by the Spanish Minister for Internal Development and the President
of the Galician Regional Government on the plans to link the La Sanabria-Orense-Santiago route section to
La Meseta and the La Coruña-Vigo-Oporto section to Portugal.

Unaware of these statements and presumably basing her answer on official documents in the Commission’s
possession, she gave to understand that the Ponferrada to Monforte line might become the access route for
high-speed trains to Galicia.

When it learned of the Commission’s answer, the Galician Government responded by dismissing it,
criticising the Commission, and confirming that access would be provided via the La Sanabria-Orense-
Santiago line.

How much truth is there in all the above assertions? At all events, by what kind of supposedly high-speed
network might Galicia be linked to La Meseta and Portugal?

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 155.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 September 2001)

The Commission’s answer to the Honourable Member’s written question E-1046/01 (1) refers to the
guidelines in Decision No 1692/96 (2) adopted by Parliament and the Council
in 1996 on the trans-
European transport network. As the Commission has already pointed out in its reply to the Honourable
Member’s oral question H-530/01 at question time in the part-session of July 2001 (3), these guidelines are
currently being revised.

In the course of preparing their revision proposal, the Spanish national authorities sent the Commission a
request for the national high-speed rail plan to be included. This plan comprises, in particular, the high-
speed links between Madrid and Galicia via Sanabria, Orense and Santiago and the section between La
Coruña, Vigo and the frontier with Portugal stemming from the agreement between the Spanish and
Galician governments. The Commission, as mentioned in its White Paper on the European transport policy
adopted on 12 September 2001 (4), intends to propose as part of this revision modification of the list of
‘specific’ projects in Annex III. The projects envisaged and mentioned in the White Paper include the
interoperability of the Iberian high-speed rail network on the basis of the Spanish and Portuguese national
high-speed rail plans, which include the lines in Galicia mentioned above.

The Commission wishes to point out that the definition of ‘high-speed line’ in this plan corresponds to
that in Council Directive 96/48/EC (5) of 23 July 1996 on the interoperability of the trans-European high-
speed rail system. This Directive states that high-speed lines comprise specially built high-speed lines
equipped for speeds generally equal to or greater than 250 km/h, specially upgraded lines equipped for
speeds of the order of 200 km/h and specially upgraded lines on which the speed must be adapted on a
case-by-case basis.

C 93 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

The Commission is keeping a close watch on the planning stages of Portugal’s high-speed rail plan. This
plan includes the Atlantic rail route which is part of priority project No 8 and which should contribute to
the continuity and interoperability of the rail links between Spain and Portugal.

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 155.
(2) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(3) Answer, 3.7.2001.
(4) COM(2001) 370.
(5) OJ L 235, 17.9.1996.

(2002/C 93 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2031/01

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Women and the euro

In reference to the project ‘Women and the euro’:

B As some of the booklets ‘the Euro puts a new value in your pocket’ and accompanying posters are

written in English, are there any plans to distribute them in Britain?

B Are there any plans to distribute these posters and the booklet in Britain in the run-up to the British

referendum on the euro?

B Has any money been spent in Britain as part of the campaign ‘Women and the euro’?

B How much of EU money was spent on this project, and which budget line did it come from?

B Are there any plans to produce similar material for other target groups, such as the elderly? If so, are

there any plans to distribute it in Britain?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2001)

The project ‘Women and the euro’ was submitted in the framework of the Prince programme in 1999 and
was retained, thereby receiving a financial contribution from the Commission.

This was done, because a Eurobarometer survey published in July 1999 confirmed B what other surveys
have shown before B that women were less enthusiastic about the introduction of the euro and felt less
well informed about it than men. Only 39 % of women felt, according to this Eurobarometer survey, well
or very well informed about the Euro, as compared to 51 % of the men.

Three Member States were involved: Belgium, Germany and Italy. Consequently, the United Kingdom was
neither a partner to the project, nor a target country. The English version of the booklets and the posters
was destined for Ireland (and non governmental organisations (NGOs) dealing with equality and women’s
issues).

There are no plans whatsoever to distribute the posters and the booklets in the United Kingdom in the
run-up to the British referendum on the euro. The project has come to an end, the stocks have been used
up, and the target groups were exclusively women.

No money was spent in the United Kingdom as part of this campaign, as there was no partnership with
Britain, hence no financial contribution from a British partner.

A grant agreement was concluded and the contribution by the Commission amounts to € 152,400 on a
total eligible cost of € 304,971 on budget line B-33060. The Commission is currently assessing the final
report and the cost-benefit ratio of the project.