WRITTEN QUESTION E-3125/01 by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission. Eighty-five per cent funding of a new line for the Madrid underground.
Date: 2001-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Community of Madrid, co-financing, eligibility criteria, transport infrastructure, underground railway

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/27

At the meeting held on 17-18 September 2001,
situation of its industry and consider:

it was agreed that each country would analyse the

(cid:31) the technology and economics of the steel sector;

(cid:31) the response of the industry to the changed economic situation following the South Asian crisis;

(cid:31) those facilities which are largely non-competitive;

(cid:31) the principal issues that could impede closure of uneconomic capacity.

The results of these studies will be discussed at a further OECD meeting on 17-18 December 2001.

The Commission is also holding bilateral discussions with other leading steel producers, including the
candidate countries, Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan with a view to addressing problems
faced by the world steel industry.

(2002/C 172 E/028)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3125/01

by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

(14 November 2001)

Subject: Eighty-five per cent funding of a new line for the Madrid underground

According to reports in the Spanish press, 85 % of the funding for work on a new line linking the Nuevos
Ministerios and Mar de Cristal stations on the Madrid underground is to come from the Cohesion Fund. I
have been told that hitherto no such funding has been requested.

Furthermore, residents’ associations in the area along the route of the new underground line have
complained that the President of the Community of Madrid opposes building another station on the line
between Nuevos Ministerios and Mar de Cristal on the grounds that funding for work on the line cannot
be obtained from the Cohesion Fund unless it can be shown that the line is to serve as a link between the
city and Barajas airport.

Given that projects eligible for funding under the Cohesion Fund can be submitted at any stage, will the
Commission say whether or not Spain or the Community of Madrid has presented a request for funding
for work on the Nuevos Ministerios-Mar de Cristal line?

If not, could the work already undertaken possibly become eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund
upon submission of the relevant request? Or, on the contrary, would it be considered ineligible for
funding?

Is it indeed the case that, pursuant to the criteria governing funding under the Cohesion Fund, funding for
work on the line would not be forthcoming unless the line itself were to serve as an airport link?

According to the criteria established by the Commission and the Cohesion Fund Regulation, could building
another station along the line prevent the latter from being considered overall as an airport link?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2001)

The Commission has not yet received any request for part-financing from the Cohesion Fund for the
extension of the underground railway line between ‘Mar de Cristal’ and ‘Nuevos Ministerios’ and so has no
the Cohesion Fund’s rules on eligibility (1),
views about an intermediate station. Moreover, under

C 172 E/28

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

expenditure incurred before the Commission has received an application for aid cannot be taken into
consideration for Community part-financing.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1264/1999 of 21 June 1999 amending Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 establishing a

Cohesion Fund, OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 172 E/029)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3195/01

by James Provan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: Funding for the European Federation of Journalists

Will the Commission state whether the European Federation of Journalists or the International Federation
of Journalists receive funding or support in any way from the European Commission?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 2001)

Neither the European Federation of Journalists nor the International Federation of Journalists receive any
general financial support from the Commission.

The International Federation of Journalists has, however, this year received support for two specific
projects which will improve the information available to journalists who work in/or visit Brussels to cover
European affairs.

(2002/C 172 E/030)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3198/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: Completion of the road link between Patras, Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece)

Will the Commission say:

1. What was the original timetable for the completion of the road axis linking Patras with Athens and

Thessaloniki and what is the current timetable for completion?

2. What was the original budget for the road axis linking Patras with Athens and Thessaloniki and what

is the current timetable for completion?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2002)

The Commission would draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that, in accordance with
the Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the
Structural Funds (1), the efficiency and correctness of management and implementation is the responsibility
of the Greek authorities. Moreover, the operational programmes (OP) do not necessarily include specific
operational timetables for projects co-financed under Structural Funds. In addition the responsibility for
budget decisions for projects lies with the Member States’ authorities.

As far as Community contributions are concerned, the completion of some 400 km of the motorway
between Corinth and Thessaloniki was co-financed by both the European Regional Development Fund and
the Cohesion Fund during the 1989-1993 and 1994-1999 programming periods, to a total of € 1 billion.

For the 2000-2006 programming period, a further 300 km in the PATHE axis from Patras to Thessaloniki
is expected to be co-financed by the Structural Funds, including the Rio Antirio bridge and the Athens