WRITTEN QUESTION E-0332/02 by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Rail infrastructure in Greece.
Date: 2002-02-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Community support framework, Greece, co-financing, implementation of the budget, rail transport, transport infrastructure

C 205 E/118

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

In their reply of 14 November 2001 to the Commission’s observations, the Greek authorities confirmed
that the major part of the auditors’ recommendations had been implemented.

(2002/C 205 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0332/02

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Rail infrastructure in Greece

Further to Mr Barnier’s answer of 24 January 2002 (P-3122/01 (1)), given on behalf of the Commission,
will the Commission provide the following information:

1. What is the total amount of payments to date from the 2nd CSF for 1994-1999 and from the
Cohesion Fund for each rail infrastructure project in Greece, including rolling stock and studies?

2. What is the total amount of payments made to date by the Commission before and after the changes
to material and financial aspects of the projects relating to the rail links between Thriasio, Elefsina and
Corinth, Evangelismos and Leptokarya, and electrification of the national
inter-city link between
Patras, Athens and Thessaloniki (PATHE)?

3. Were other changes made to rail network projects?

4. What is the total amount of expenditure submitted to the Commission’s departments by Greece in

respect of rail infrastructure in Greece and to what does that expenditure relate?

5. What material and financial aspects of the above three projects have been completed within the new

schedule?

6. The Commission has said that co-funding of the PATHE electrification project has been suspended.
Since the project originally approved was reduced in scope to the funding of a number of studies and
modifications to the existing signalling system, does the Commission consider that the expenditure on
the PATHE electrification project is eligible for co-funding when an absolute condition of such funding
is that the project should be finished and operational?

7. On which dates did the Commission announce the results of its checks and ask for a reply from the

Greek authorities?

8. What is the Commission’s view of the overall outcome of the works carried out by Ergose A.E?

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2002)

1.
The total amount paid up to now by the European Regional Development Fund under the
operational programme (OP) ‘Railways’ of the community support framework (CSF) for Greece during the
1994-1999 programming period, including expenditure for rolling stock and studies, is € 363 million. The
Commission proceeds to interim payments to Member States for operational programmes of
the
programming period 1994-1999 on the basis of expenditure declarations presented by them for the
whole operational programme, and has no available data at this stage on the amount paid for each
individual project.

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/119

As far as the Cohesion Fund is concerned, the total amount of payments made on 1 February 2002 for
railway infrastructure projects in Greece is € 453 756 412, and the analysis of this amount per project is as
follows:

Cohesion Fund rail projects

Electrification

Paleofarsala Kalambaka

Thessalonique Alexandroupolis

Evagelismos Leptokarya (Phase A)

Thriassio Elefsina Corinthe (Phase A)

Etude liaison Thriassio Pirée

Axios

Palataki

Construction of new rail line Korinthos Kiato

Construction of Thriassio complex and connection to the line

Evagelismos Leptokarya (Phase B)

Thriassio Elefsina Corinthe (Phase B)

Construction of new rail line Thriassio Ikonion port

(in €)

Payments

21 555 000

14 957 647

27 150 958

234 855 000

54 000 000

1 060 000

12 210 000

6 178 636

9 980 000

41 100 029

D

16 500 000

14 299 142

2. and 5.
question is as follows:

The total amount of Cohesion Fund payments for the specific projects referred to in the

D Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase A) before the modification of the initial decision: € 54 million
(corresponding to 90 % of the approved assistance and to 25,5 % of the approved physical object).

D Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase B) after the modification of the initial decision for the project:

€ 16,5 million (corresponding to 20 % of the approved assistance, as an advance payment).

D Evagelismos-Leptokarya (Phase A): € 234,85 million (corresponding to 90 % of the approval assistance

and to 63 % of the approved physical object).

D Electrification of Athens-Thessaloniki rail line: € 21,6 million (corresponding to 64 % of the approved

assistance and to 23 % of the approved physical object).

No payments have been made for the last two projects after the last modification of the relevant co
financing decisions which took place in 2001 and 1999 respectively.

There have been four modifications of the OP ‘Railways 1994-1999’ since its approval in December

3.
1994, namely in 1996, 1998, 1999 and finally in 2000.

As far as the Cohesion Fund decisions for individual railway projects are concerned, the Commission
decisions which have been modified and the respective year of the modification, are the following:

Cohesion Fund Rail project

Initial funding Decision

Modifications

Evagelismos-Leptokaria (Phase A)

Evagelismos-Leptokaria (Phase B)

Paleofarsalos-Kalambaka

Electrification

1993

2001

1993

1994

1995 D 1999

D

1994 D 1997 D 1999

1997 D 1999

C 205 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

Cohesion Fund Rail project

Initial funding Decision

Modifications

Thessaloniki-Alexandroupolis

Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase A)

Thriassio-Elefsina-Korinthos (Phase B)

Thriassio Complex

1994

1996

2001

1994

1997 D 1999

2000

D

2001

Total eligible public expenditure declared by the Greek authorities up to now, under the OP ‘Railways
4.
1994-1999’, is € 547 million. The respective amount for Cohesion Fund rail projects, that is the total
eligible public expenditure declared up to now, is around € 600 million.

It must be noted that payments made up to now for the electrification project cover designs and
6.
preparatory works for the future development of the project. The Commission would also draw the
attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that payments made up to now for this project are
advance and interim payments. When a request for a final payment is made the Commission checks if the
project or phase of project is completed and operational in accordance with the regulations. As far as the
further payments to this project are concerned, the position of the Commission has been presented in the
answer given to written question P-3122/01 (1) of the Honourable Member.

The expertise done on behalf of

7.
the Commission for the electrification and the Evagelismos-
Leptokarya rail projects was communicated to the Greek authorities on 25 July 2001. The Greek
authorities presented their views and comments on this expertise to the Commission on the 30 January
2002.

Ergose has been created in the context of a policy agreed by the Greek authorities and the
8.
Commission under CSF 1994-1999, to create new independent agencies for the management of large
infrastructure projects, so that the problems of design, budget, time and quality of execution for those
projects would be overcome.

Other examples of such agencies created under the previous CSF for Greece are the Attiko Metro
Company, managing the construction of the Athens Metro and its extensions, and the Egnatia Company,
managing the Egnatia motorway construction.

The Commission has the intention, with the help of experts, to examine the efficiency and the quality of
the project management provided by all the above mentioned agencies, starting with the audit of Ergose
which will take place in the next months.

(1) OJ C 147 E, 20.6.2002.

(2002/C 205 E/130)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0334/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Nuclear issues

1. What contribution did Commission experts make to the report ‘Nuclear Power Plants’ Radwaste in
Perspective’ published by Eurelectric in January 2002?

Has the Commission received any explanation from the United Kingdom authorities on the
2.
implications for environmental safety of the dumping of British nuclear waste in the Atlantic Ocean at a
location 400 km west of Land’s End in Cornwall, England between 1965 to 1982; and in particular, has
any recent communication been received in respect of a recently revealed incident in 1969 involving a
ship, the MV Topaz, on which a full flask of nuclear waste cracked and contaminated the deck of the ship,
and involved the disposal of the damaged waste flask overboard?