WRITTEN QUESTION E-2189/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Portuguese section of Galicia's and Portugal's link to the high-speed rail network.
Date: 2001-07-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Galicia, Portugal, financial aid, high-speed transport, rail transport, trans-European network, transport policy

C 115 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Every citizen has a duty to protect libraries against acts of censorship. Yet in recent years works in
municipal libraries have been more or less flagrantly censored, particularly in municipalities governed by
the extreme right. This is the case in a number of French towns.

Has the Commission taken note of such deplorable developments in the measures for which it is
responsible? Has the problem arisen in other Member States? Has the European Union responded in any
way to such assaults? If not, will the Commission initiate an event in support of libraries within the Union
which have been victims of such practices?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 2001)

The Commission is concerned at the situation to which the Honourable Member refers, namely the
censorship of books in municipal libraries in certain French towns. However, it does not have sufficient
information on the subject as regards either France or other Member States.

Article 6 (formerly Article F(2)) of the Treaty on European Union states that the Union shall respect
fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Fundamental Rights
and Freedoms and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as
general principles of Community law. These general principles include freedom of expression and
information. Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, formally proclaimed
at Nice on 7 December 2000, also enshrines the right to freedom of expression and information.

However, legislation or internal measures within Member States relating to the censorship of books in
municipal libraries do not fall within the scope of Community law. The Commission is therefore unable to
take a stance on this issue or, as the Honourable Member suggests, to initiate an event in support of the
libraries concerned.

However, if the situation in question constituted a violation of a right or freedom, a case could be brought
in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg once internal remedies had been exhausted.

(2002/C 115 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2189/01

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

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Portuguese section of Galicia’s and Portugal’s link to the high-speed rail network

In its reply to Oral Question H-0530/01 (1) (which it gave at the European Parliament’s sitting of 4 July
2001), the Commission says that it is ‘closely monitoring the planning stages of Portugal’s high-speed
railway programme’ which includes the Atlantic rail link, which is part of priority project No 8 and which
will help to ensure that rail links between Spain and Portugal are able to continue in a coordinated fashion.

The reply to that question comes at a time when the Portuguese Government is already questioning the
need for a high-speed line, and even the need for a line to be built at all.

In view of the fact that the Lisbon-Corunna line is part of priority project No 8 (one of a small number of
projects which are to receive particular attention from the Union) and that the project will have a decisive
effect on Galicia’s economic development, what action is the Commission currently taking vis-à-vis the
Spanish and Portuguese Governments (and Galicia’s regional government) in order to ensure that the
railway line in question is built by 2007, as was originally planned?

(1) Written reply of 3 July 2001.

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/37

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2001)

As it indicated in its replies to Written Questions Nos E-1046/01 (1) and E-2030/01 (2) by the Honourable
Member, the Commission is planning to put forward revised guidelines on the trans-European transport
network which will add new ‘specific’ projects to Annex III. The White Paper on European transport policy
which the Commission adopted on 12 September 2001 (3)
the projects being
envisaged include the interoperability of the Iberian high-speed rail network, based on Spain and Portugal’s
national plans for high-speed rail lines. Spain’s national plan includes the lines in Galicia agreed between
the Spanish and Galician Governments, including the link between La Coruña, Vigo and the Portuguese
border.

indicates clearly that

The Commission has already contacted the Portuguese authorities, pointing out to them the desirability of
links between Portugal and Spain via the corridor covered by
ensuring continuous,
priority project No 8. At the request of the Spanish and Portuguese authorities, it has also granted TEN
financial aid for work and studies on the modernisation of the existing line while work and studies are
carried out on a rail link between Porto and Vigo.

interoperable rail

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 155.
(2) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002, p. 49.
(3) COM(2001) 370.

(2002/C 115 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2193/01

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

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Setting up, within Spain, of a public company to buy weapons for lease to the country’s central
government, thereby ensuring that such investment expenditure does not appear in the accounts

The Spanish Government is devising such a system for financing the purchase of tanks and ships with the
intention that the public company would lease the weapons to the army, so as to prevent the full cost
thereof from appearing in the accounts for the year in which the weapons are purchased. Irrespective of
the implications which such a system has for the concept of the powers and the authority of the state,
does the Commission consider the system to be compatible with the budget-stability rules which the
Member States are required to observe?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2001)

In accordance with the ‘Stability and Growth Pact’ all Member States have committed themselves to respect
a medium-term objective for the general government budgetary position of close to balance or in
surplus (1). This budget-stability objective is based on general government accounts according to the
European system of accounts (ESA-95). This system includes a detailed regulation for the treatment of
leasing operations (Annex II: ‘Leasing and hire purchase of durable goods’).

On the one hand, it remains to be seen in which sector is the public corporation classified. On the other
hand, as described by the Honourable Member the operation described seems to fall under the definition of
‘financial leasing’. According to which, the lessor provides the lessee with a loan enabling the lessee to
purchase a durable good, of which the lessee becomes the de facto owner. The durable good is treated as if
owned by the lessee from the beginning of the leasing period. As a consequence, the full amount of the
principal of the loan is registered as a non-financial expenditure at the time of the contract, while interest
payments are registered annually. Naturally, a thorough assessment of the operation will not be possible
until the details of the transactions involved are known.

(1) OJ C 236, 2.8.1997.