WRITTEN QUESTION P-0107/02 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Subsidy to Railtrack.
Date: 2002-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: State aid, United Kingdom, aid for restructuring, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, judicial proceedings, rail transport

C 172 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

(2002/C 172 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0107/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 January 2002)

Subject: Subsidy to Railtrack

On 29 November 2001, the UK Government asked for subsidy exemption for financial support to
Railtrack in administration.

To what value has this subsidy exemption been agreed and for what declaration is this exemption allowed?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Railtrack Plc was, as the Honourable Member may know, put into Administration on 7 October 2001.
Following the Administration Order the British Government notified to the Commission that it had put in
place funding arrangements to ensure that the railway continues to run safely and normally until the
transfer of Railtrack’s licensed rail activities out of Administration as a going concern.

These arrangements, which purpose it is to rescue Railtrack’s business pending the outcome of the
Administration procedure, has been examined by the Commission in the light of
the Community
Guidelines on state aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty. In its decision of 13 February
2002, the Commission concluded that the UK Government’s arrangements for rescuing Railtrack plc in
Administration fulfills the criteria laid down in these Guidelines and decided to authorise the aid made
available for an initial period of 6 months. In addition, and due to the exceptional circumstances in this
particular case, the Commission also decided to authorise an extension of the initial period with 6 further
months. Accordingly, the Commission authorised the UK Government to make available an amount of up
to € 8,78 billion for the period 7 October 2001-30 September 2002 in the form of
loans and or
guarantees.

(2002/C 172 E/150)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0117/02

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Transport of radioactive material within EU Member States

Can the Commission list incidents in which trains in the Member States carrying radioactive material have
been involved in (a) accidents (b) safety-related incidents in each of the last five years, indicating the date
and the location of each incident, what EU guidelines there are to follow should an accident involving the
transportation of radioactive material occur, and what information a Member State is expected to give the
Commission and the public were any such incidents to occur on its railways?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2002)

Council Decision 87/600/Euratom of 14 December 1987 on Community arrangements for the early
exchange of information in the event of a radiological emergency (1) and Council Directive 89/618/Eura-
tom of 27 November 1989, on informing the general public about health protection measures to be
applied and steps to be taken in the event of a radiological emergency (2) are of application for the
transport of radioactive material both for the information of the Commission and of the public.