WRITTEN QUESTION E-3578/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Galicia and motorways of the sea.
Date: 2002-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Galicia, common transport policy, maritime transport, trans-European network, transport infrastructure

C 160 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

The examination of this proposal by the Council is now underway. Hence, pending a final decision by the
Council and the European Parliament on this matter, the Council is not in a position to indicate in which
way the eventually revised Decision will affect the situation of Galicia at the level of regional, national and
trans-European railway networks. Furthermore, the Council underlines that the inclusion of a particular
railway project in the trans-European transport network outline plan in no way prejudges the final
decision regarding the actual implementation of a particular project; this competence lies with national
authorities. In the same vein, decisions regarding the timetable for the construction work and the allocated
funding also fall under the competence, in the case referred by the Honourable Parliamentarian, of the
Spanish national authorities.

(1) OJ C 362 E, 18.12.2001.

(2002/C 160 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3578/01

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

(9 January 2002)

Subject: Galicia and ‘motorways of the sea’

In view of Galicia’s strategic position within Europe’s network of seas and the Atlantic routes which
provide a link between Europe and the other continents, how (in terms of timetable and funding) is Galicia
to be involved in the development of the infrastructure which is needed if the ‘motorways of the sea’
which feature as priority measures in the White Paper on European transport policy (1) are to be created?

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.

Reply

(25/26 March 2002)

The Council recalls that in the Commission’s view 9 as expressed in its White Paper 9 ‘motorways of the
sea’ should be created in the context of a regulatory framework based on the following elements: legislative
proposals in the field of maritime and port policy, the Marco Polo programme for the promotion of
intermodality (1), and the larger revision of the Community guidelines for the development of the trans-
European transport network due in 2004.

The Council is fully aware of the geo-strategic position of Galicia in this respect. Nevertheless, and in the
absence of any of the legislative proposals as referred to above, the Council is not yet in a position to give
a concrete answer to the question regarding the inclusion of Galicia in the development of
the
infrastructure needed to create the ‘motorways of the sea’.

The Council furthermore underlines that the actual implementation of such projects to create ‘motorways
of the sea’ will depend on a final decision by the national authorities. Issues such as the timetable for the
construction work and the allocation of
the national
authorities.

funds fall equally under the competence of

(1) This programme, for which the legislative proposal is due to be presented by the Commission shortly, would allow
a co-financing for the creation of new services of short-distance maritime transport. Requests for co-financing
would have to be addressed to the Commission by the national authorities of the Member State.