WRITTEN QUESTION E-0696/03 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Traffic imbalances between France and Spain following the opening of the Somport Tunnel.
Date: 2003-03-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, France, Spain, competence of the Member States, engineering structure, financial aid, international road transport, project of common interest, road network, trans-European network

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/123

(2003/C 268 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0696/03

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 March 2003)

Subject: Traffic imbalances between France and Spain following the opening of the Somport Tunnel

France has not reciprocated the concern shared by all Spanish governments to get the Sagunto-Zaragoza-
Somport-Toulouse-Bordeaux route treated as an EU priority route.

Despite the widespread hopes that the opening of the modern Somport Tunnel would relieve the Irún and
la Junquera passes, this has in fact not solved the problem posed by the enormous volume of heavy vehicle
traffic, since France has failed to meet its commitments and the northern exit is a local road which passes
through town centres.

Can the Commission arbitrate and appeal to the French authorities to meet their commitment to improve
the section of the N-134 road which links the northern exit of the tunnel with the Bordeaux-Toulouse
motorway?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 April 2003)

The Commission is aware of the congestion caused by heavy goods vehicles at the principal crossings of
the Pyrenees.

this new trans-European route. Accordingly,

In this respect, the opening of the Somport tunnel was a first step towards spreading the traffic more
evenly but, as the Honourable Member rightly states, access on the French side remains the principal factor
limiting development of
the Commission is providing
financial support, from the trans-European transport network budget and as proposed by the French
authorities, for upgrading the RN 134 road to the tunnel. However, although Article 155 of the EC Treaty
states that the Community ‘shall establish a series of guidelines covering the objectives, priorities and broad
lines of measures envisaged in the sphere of trans-European networks; these guidelines shall
identify
projects of common interest’ the Member States nevertheless remain fully responsible for implementation
of the projects. Consequently, the Commission can only regret that the planning of a trans-European
project of such importance has not shown the same level of commitment on the part of the two states
concerned.

The Commission also considers that in the medium to long term credible, economically viable options for
long-distance freight services will have to be put in place, bringing significant relief to congestion at the
crossings of the Pyrenees on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean sides. The Pyrenees must not be an
insuperable obstacle to trade on the internal market.

(2003/C 268 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0716/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(11 March 2003)

Subject:

‘Prestige’: stronger legal classification of environmental crime and maritime pollution

The ‘Prestige’ disaster calls for a forthright response in order to prevent further such disasters. Various
organisations are therefore calling for much stronger criminal classification of environmental crime and
maritime pollution.

The Spanish press (La Voz de Galicia of 4 February 2003, p. 6) has reported a meeting of the Spanish,
Italian and French Ministers of Justice in which ‘they agreed to support the EU Council’s initiatives and step
up the criminal prosecution of those involved in polluting European coasts’.

What steps is the Commission taking to this end?