WRITTEN QUESTION E-3670/01 by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Budgetary status of the northern dimension in 2002.
Date: 2002-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Northern Europe, Russia, administration of the Institutions, budget, cross-border cooperation, drawing up of the EU budget, regional development

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/19

between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. The Commission has knowledge that this company was chosen by an
open and non-discriminatory tender procedure organised by the competent authorities. According to the
information of the Commission, Superfast Ferries has not received any State aid.

Concerning the aid given by the British Government under the ‘Freight Facilities Grant Scheme’, the
2.
adaptation of the Port of Rosyth constitutes a public policy action in line with the common transport
policy and intends to facilitate the development of the maritime infrastructure within the United Kingdom.
This project includes handling freight facilities, which will be open to any interested operators on non-
discriminatory conditions and its capital grant amounts to £ 10,96 million, and not to £ 20 million, while
the environmental benefit is calculated at £ 35 million. Therefore, this action is in the wider public interest.

3. and 4.
Regarding the selection of the Port of Rosyth, the Commission verified the studies showing
that it was the most suitable location from an environmental and economic point of view. As mentioned
before, these facilities will be suitable and open to all potential operators.

5.
In relation with a possible Community grant for the adaptation of the Port of Leith, there will be no
obstacle for this in the context of the European programmes, but it must be clear that the updating of the
Port of Rosyth will be mainly done with governmental money. It is up to the UK authorities to decide its
infrastructure priorities.

6.
The current Scottish trailer traffic amounts to only a small percentage of the total United Kingdom’s
international trailer traffic and according to some studies there will be an increase in demand for shipping
services to and from the United Kingdom within the next few years. Therefore and considering the open
and non discriminatory nature of the facilities the inclusion of new operators in the market may be
expected. Consequently, the Commission judges that the competitive impact is acceptable in the light of
the very significant environmental benefit and that the grant for the Port of Rosyth does not affect
Community trade to such an extent as would be contrary to the interest of the Community. Finally, the
Commission would like to stress that no preferential treatment has been agreed and that the Commission’s
assessment on State aids takes always into account all relevant information available.

(2002/C 301 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3670/01

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 January 2002)

Subject: Budgetary status of the northern dimension in 2002

The northern dimension is an important political initiative.

What steps has the Commission taken with a view to creating a special heading for the northern
dimension in the EU budget for 2003?

How will it cover the northern dimension when it draws up the 2003 budget?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

The Commission strongly supports the Northern Dimension initiative. It aims at enhancing cooperation
between the Union and the countries of Europe’s northern region through, inter alia, better coordination
of the Community programmes operating in the region. It has been clear from the beginning that the
Northern Dimension initiative would not involve creation of new specific sources of Community funding.

C 301 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

The Commission believes that more is to be gained by improved coordination of existing programmes
than could be made available by another small budget line and, therefore, the Commission does not
foresee proposing a separate heading for the Northern Dimension. The Commission is in general against
the creation of small thematic or specialised small budget lines, which hinder effective management of the
Community budget.

Activities within the Northern Dimension continue to benefit from the existing budget lines, the TACIS
programme for actions in Russia, from the PHARE and ISPA programmes for the candidate countries and
from Interreg in the Member States concerned. For example, the budget line (B7-521) for Cross-Border
Cooperation (CBC) is used predominantly in the Northern Dimension area; its subsidiary line for the Baltic
Sea (B7-5211) is of course entirely aimed at the Northern Dimension area. This is also the case as regards
the PHARE CBC programme in the region (B7-0311). In addition, the Commission intends to be a major
contributor to the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Support Fund once this Fund is set up.

(2002/C 301 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3687/01

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(16 January 2002)

Subject: Community funding for regasification plant at the bay of Ferrol (Spain)

is promoting a project for the creation of a
(Reganosa)
The company Regasificadora del Norte S.A.
liquefied natural gas plant at Punta Promontoiro, on the inner side of the narrow bay of Ferrol (Ría de
Ferrol) in Spain. This major project would entail the construction of four tanks of 150 000 cubic metres,
and would also mean the entry each year of over 40 methane tankers (dimensions: 280 m x 42 m x 12-13 m).

Reganosa is in receipt of financing from the Galician regional government as well as from the companies
Unión Fenosa, Endesa and Mugardesa de Energía, S.A.

The project has met with widespread rejection from the local community, and the Ferrol city council has
declared itself against. A number of citizens’ organisations have filed complaints with the Commission’s
DG Environment and DG Transport and Energy,
in view of the severe risks of such an industrial
development in this area. The Ferrol city council believes the plant could be located within Ferrol’s
projected outer port complex (this was in fact the original option). Nonetheless, the location currently
proposed, i.e. the inner side of the bay, is a densely populated area which is only one kilometre from the
built-up area of Mugardos and Ferrol. This location means that the plant could become a real accident
trap: displacement would be virtually impossible, and the methane tankers could only put to sea at high
tide. The proposed site of the regasification plant would border on such existing installations as fuel tanks,
military vessels and a military arsenal, and there could be a domino effect in case of accident, with
unforeseeable consequences.

Is this project, or has it ever been, in receipt of Community funding of any kind? Has any request for
funding been received? If so, what amounts were asked for, and from which of the Community Funds?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

During the 1994-1999 programming period the Structural Funds provided no part-finance for the
installation referred to by the Honourable Member. The Spanish authorities have told the Commission that
they do not currently intend to seek part-finance for this project during the current period 2000-2006.

Those authorities have not so far made any application for part-finance.