WRITTEN QUESTION E-1973/02 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. High-speed train from Madrid to the Region of Valencia.
Date: 2002-07-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Spain, environmental impact, high-speed transport, impact study, rail transport, trans-European network, transport infrastructure, transport policy

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/163

In the case of Spain, the Commission is aware of these delays and a general infringement procedure will be
initiated for all towns which fail to comply with these obligations, which may include the towns referred
to by the Honourable Member in this written question.

As it is, the Commission has sent a letter to the Spanish authorities to find out more about the waste water
treatment plant at Novelda (cid:1) Monforte del Cid, in Alicante Province, in the Autonomous Community of
Valencia.

It should also be noted that the Commission recently initiated an infringement procedure against Spain,
under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, for failure by the Spanish authorities to provide sufficient information
as to how Directive 91/271/EEC is being applied. A letter of formal notice has therefore been sent since
the Spanish authorities have in particular failed to submit a general report regarding implementation or
any information concerning industry. The Commission has also sent letters of formal notice to several
other Member States for the same reason.

(1) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(2) Unit of measurement of organic pollution representing the average pollution produced per person per day.

(2003/C 28 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1973/02

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 July 2002)

Subject: High-speed train from Madrid to the Region of Valencia

The Spanish Ministry for Public Works intends to carry out the project to build the Madrid (cid:1) Valencia
Region high-speed train without having seriously considered the alternatives, such as modernising and
improving the existing lines and using fast tilting trains, which are better suited to the mountainous
terrain, could use existing track, subject to appropriate improvements, and hence could reduce the
environmental impact.

Can the Commission ascertain whether a ‘strategic’ environmental assessment of this project has been
carried out by the Spanish Government, comparing the economic, social and environmental costs of the
Madrid (cid:1) Valencia high-speed train with alternatives using fast tilting trains to cover the same route on
existing track, after adapting and modernising it?

Although Spain is finding it difficult to fulfil the obligations of the Kyoto Protocol, opting for the high-
speed project would only enhance a system based on high consumption. In accordance with forecasts of
230 direct trains arriving in the city of Valencia every day, there are plans to build a new platform for only
12 long-distance trains, whilst the rest would continue to use track which has almost reached ‘saturation
point’. Furthermore the high-speed option means investing more in minority traffic and less in busier
traffic (local and regional lines), with a medium-term investment to the detriment of State investment in
more socially useful projects.

In the year 2000 EUR 2,87 per suburban-train passenger and almost EUR 1 382 per high-speed train
passenger was invested in Spain. With regard to the Madrid (cid:1) Valencia high-speed train project and the
European structural aid requested, does the Commission envisage funding this high-speed train line, which
is not one of the priorities for the trans-European transport network?

Does the Commission not consider that European funding should be used for rail infrastructure serving
larger passenger numbers?

C 28 E/164

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2002)

Modernisation of the rail
link between Madrid and Valencia appears in the development plan of the
Autonomous Community of Valencia as one of the operations needed in order to improve inter-regional
rail
links and thus help integrate those regions into the trans-European transport network (TEN). The
Madrid (cid:1) Valencia link is not one of the specific projects selected by the Heads of State and Government
in Essen. However, it does figure as a planned new high-speed line in Annex I to Decision No 1692/96/EC
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the
development of the trans-European transport network (1). It is eligible for Community aid from the trans-
European transport network budget and from the Structural and cohesion Funds.

Nonetheless, the specific arrangements for modernisation, and the detailed technical decisions, routes,
speed, etc., are all matters for the national authorities. As this line is part of the TEN, technical studies
relating to this high-speed corridor are co-financed through the Multiannual Indicative Programme for the
granting of Community financial support to projects of common interest in the area of TENs for the
period 2001-2006.

As the Commission indicated in its answer to written question P-1545/02 by Mrs Sornosa Martínez (2), it
has yet to receive a financing request for construction work on this railway line, and so has not had
occasion to assess the soundness of the Member State’s final decisions.

Regarding the need to subject this infrastructure project to an environmental impact study, it should be
noted that Article 2 of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of
certain public and private projects on the environment (3), as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of
3 March 1997 (4), stipulates that Member States must adopt all measures necessary to ensure that, before
consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue inter alia of their
nature, size or location are made subject to an assessment with regard to their effects. Moreover, Article 4
stipulates that projects of the classes listed in Annex I, such as the railway line referred to in this petition,
must be made subject to an assessment in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 5 to 10.

The Commission learned of the situation reported by the Honourable Member via petition 109/2001,
following which it opened a new own-initiative case, registered as No 2002/2087,
to ensure that
Community law is being properly enforced in the case in hand. The same situation was also reported in a
complaint, registered as No 2002/4001.

As part of its examination of these dossiers, the Commission has approached the Spanish authorities for
their comments on the reported situation and on the enforcement of Directive 85/337/EEC in this
instance.

The Commission will not fail to inform Parliament’s Committee on Petitions of developments in its
examination of the dossier.

Generally speaking,
the Commission believes Community financing allocated to the trans-European
networks should aim as a priority at shifting the balance between the different modes of transport and
removing bottlenecks. This shift is being achieved by means of rail projects improving or releasing
capacity for goods trains and developing high-speed lines able to provide an alternative to other modes,
especially air transport.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(2) OJ C 309 E, 12.12.2002, p. 134.
(3) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(4) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.