WRITTEN QUESTION E-0105/03 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. Expansion of the Mont Blanc and Fréjus road tunnels.
Date: 2003-01-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Alpine Region, France, Italy, common transport policy, road transport, trans-European network, transport planning, tunnel

C 242 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

assessed and it is most likely that a procedure will be developed allowing authorities to fit a heavy-duty
vehicle with a data recording device to measure emissions while a vehicle is actually used on the road.
When used in combination with the type-approval test, this additional on-road test will provide a strong
control of emissions under all possible operating conditions.

However, heavy-duty vehicle operators and drivers may still tamper with their engine or emission control
systems to improve performance and can easily purchase,
through magazines or on the internet,
‘performance chips’ or download new engine calibrations offering better fuel consumption or power. A
forthcoming amendment to Directive 88/77/EEC will offer improvements against tampering, especially
with engine management systems.

Finally, heavy-duty commercial vehicles and buses are covered by annual roadworthiness testing and
random roadside inspections (Council Directive 96/96/EC (4) and Parliament and Council Directive 2000/
30/EC (5)). Both Directives require progressively higher roadworthiness exhaust emission standards for
vehicles approved to higher type-approval standards. Indeed, both Directives are currently undergoing
technical adaptation in order to incorporate tighter roadworthiness standards specifically for Euro IV diesel
vehicles.

(1) Directive 1999/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate
pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission of gaseous pollutants from
positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in vehicles and amending
Council Directive 88/77/EEC (cid:1) OJ L 44, 16.2.2000.

(2) Council Directive 88/77/EEC of 3 December 1987 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating
to the measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous pollutants from diesel engines for use in vehicles (cid:1)
OJ gL 36, 9.2.1988.

(3) Commission Directive 2001/27/EC of 10 April 2001 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 88/77/EEC
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of
gaseous and particulate pollutants from compression-ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission of
gaseous pollutants from positive-ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in
vehicles (cid:1) OJ L 107, 18.4.2001.

(4) Council Directive 96/96/EC of 20 December 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating

to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers (cid:1) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.

(5) Directive 2000/30/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 6 June 2000 on the technical roadside inspection of

the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Community (cid:1) OJ L 203, 10.8.2000.

(2003/C 242 E/096)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0105/03

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 January 2003)

Subject: Expansion of the Mont Blanc and Fréjus road tunnels

link unfortunately seems to have hit the doldrums yet again, the Italian
While the Turin-Lyons rail
government has embarked on the immediate expansion,
in the shape of new shafts, of the current
Mont Blanc and Fréjus tunnels, which are part of the Trans-European Transport Network. However, it has
not taken into consideration the Transport White Paper or the Alpine Convention and its transport
protocol, which state that priority should be given to rail
in the Alpine Arc rather than to further
development of the road system. At the same time, the local populations on both sides of the tunnels are
completely opposed to this idea and the French Government is half-hearted about it. Does the Commission
have any information on this matter and what is its assessment of it?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2003)

The Commission has no information about any programme for the immediate construction of second road
tunnels for the Mont Blanc and Fréjus tunnels, but there is a project to build an evacuation tunnel parallel
to the current Fréjus tunnel.

9.10.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/97

Among other things, the guidelines adopted by the Commission for the programmes under the Structural
Funds and the Cohesion Fund for the period 2000-2006 encourage a balance between modes of transport.

The Commission attaches great importance to finding a solution for the transit of goods across the Alps, in
particular between France and Italy. It therefore remains very concerned by the consequences (cid:1) in terms
of safety, environment and quality of life of the local communities (cid:1) of the ever-growing recourse to road
transport in the Alps. In this context, the new Lyon-Turin transalpine rail link is extremely important in
order to cope with the increase in congestion in this area. This position has been repeated on numerous
occasions by the Commission before Parliament and to the authorities of the two countries concerned by
the project. In addition, the inevitable enlargement of the EU towards the East now puts the Lyon-Turin
route in a pivotal position to meet the growing need for mobility of goods and persons between the EU’s
western regions and the countries of the Danube and the Balkans, across the dynamic regions of the north
of Italy. This link is at present the only major East-West rail project giving priority to freight that is at an
advanced planning stage. To this end, EUR 100 million has already been earmarked for the carrying-out
out of studies on the Montmélian-Bussoleno section in the framework of the Indicative Multiannual
Programme (IMP) under the budget for the trans-European transport network. In order to contribute more
effectively to the programme of studies in progress, it has been decided to increase the financial support
for 2002 significantly by earmarking for that year appropriations initially intended for a longer period.
So far, the Community support has always been topped up by co-financing (cid:1) 50/50 (cid:1) by the two States
in question.

On 13 February 2002, the French National Assembly adopted on first reading a proposal for a law
authorising the approval of the Agreement of 29 January 2001 between the French and the Italian
Governments on the completion of the Lyon-Turin line by 2015. The Italian Parliament did likewise on
18 September 2002.

Mention should be made, by way of information, of the conclusions of a study conducted by Lyon Turin
ferroviaire (LTF), Réseau ferré de France (RFF) and Reta Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), forecasting the saturation
of the France-Italy rail route within fifteen years and a considerable increase in pressure on roads on all the
French crossings, if the Lyon-Turin project is not completed, unlike the situation in Switzerland where rail
projects will make it possible to control road traffic flows within thirty years.

(2003/C 242 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0111/03

by Arlene McCarthy (PSE) to the Commission

(21 January 2003)

Subject: Benefits of intellectual property rights to the EU economy

To what extent does the EU economy benefit from intellectual property rights in the field of copyrights,
patents and designs? Can the Commission quantify benefits to the EU economy?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2003)

Intellectual and industrial property rights (IPRs) are part of the infrastructure of modern society. Like laws
designed to protect other forms of property, such as personal or immovable property, IPRs are closely
bound up with every area of economic and cultural activity, and so it is not easy to quantify the overall
benefits they provide. However, they have very great value through providing protection and encour-
agement for the investment made by enterprises and individuals in creative and innovative activity, as well
as in activities aimed at the building up of goodwill and reputation. It is beyond question that large
sections of the economy of the Union are dependent for their competitive advantage upon the various
types of IPR available to protect against unfair exploitation of their investments by imitators and copiers.
Of particular note are the fields of pharmaceuticals and other high-tech inventions, entertainment,
software, publishing and luxury goods.