WRITTEN QUESTION P-0976/03 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. The structural and cohesion funds in Portugal.
Date: 2003-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, EU regional policy, European Commissioner, Portugal, Structural Funds, accession to the European Union, economic and social cohesion, less-favoured region, press release, project evaluation

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/171

Railway undertakings are free to set up reservation systems for seats and beds in trains following Article 5
of Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991, on the development of the Community’s railways (2)
which sets out the principle that ‘Railway undertakings shall be managed according to the principles which
apply to commercial companies’.

The Commission has not been informed about the changes taken place after change of the timetable on
15 December 2002 and about the changes in reservation systems for trains between Stockholm and
Narvik. The information given about these particular cases do not give any indication of violation of
Community law.

The Commission is aware of present industry initiatives by the International Union of Railways (UIC) to
integrate at European level
(national) rail passenger information and ultimately ticketing/reservation
systems. Those projects are called Merits and Prifis respectively and should be implemented over the next
three or four years. At present more than 30 European railway undertakings are co-operating in these
projects. Simultaneously,
is working on establishing and
implementing a Charter for Passenger Services, which contain clear commitments to passengers regarding
the provision of travel information.

the Community of European Railways

The recent
industry initiatives are in line with the Commission’s work. Within the framework of
interoperability a Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) will be developed for passenger
telematics which should facilitate the exchange of information by establishing standards in this respect.
A TSI on this issue is expected in 2006. In parallel, the Commission is working on a proposal for rail
passenger rights which may also address basic rules for integration of information and ticketing systems.
At present, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2299/89 of 24 July 1989 on a code of conduct for computerised
reservation systems applies first and foremost to airline reservation systems.
It covers rail services’
reservation only insofar as integrated in the principal unbiased displays of airline computer reservation
systems. With a view to revising this regulation,
in depth consultations with stakeholders have been
conducted. These have inter alia indicated that once a common standard will have emerged out of the TSI
exercise, it is likely that rail services be incorporated on a wide scale in the Computerised Reservation
Systems commonly used in aviation. As the case may be, that may require a further revision of the said
Regulation by 2006.

(1) See also minutes on website http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/rail/passenger/doc/pv15nov2002-en.pdf.
(2) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(2003/C 268 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0976/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(20 March 2003)

Subject: The structural and cohesion funds in Portugal

In an interview published in the newspaper Diário Económico on 3 March this year, Commissioner
Günther Verheugen, when asked about the future of structural and cohesion measures in Portugal, in view
of the enlargement of the European Union and the accompanying rise in Portugal’s GDP in relation to the
Community average (cid:1) above the ceiling of 75 % (cid:1) replied that the Commission had made it clear that the
statistical effect of enlargement, whereby countries such as Portugal would be rich on paper but not in
reality, must not mean the end of cohesion policy. Later on he said that if there were successful
programmes which were helping Portugal to prepare itself and to create more growth, more jobs and
more opportunities for people, it was in the EU’s interest to continue with such programmes.

In conclusion he promised that the Commission would propose that the level of support for Portugal in
the forthcoming financial package should remain more or less the same.

C 268 E/172

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

Can the Commission:

(cid:1) clarify in greater detail these important statements made by the Commissioner;

(cid:1) say whether it already has any policy documents concerning the financial package for Portugal in the
context of the structural and cohesion funds after 2006, and when it expects to formalise the proposal
to maintain the level of Portugal’s financial package after 2006;

(cid:1) say what specific programmes in Portugal

it considers to be ‘successful’ and ‘helping Portugal to
prepare itself and to create more growth, more jobs and more opportunities for people’, and hence
considers it ‘in the EU’s interest to continue with’.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2003)

The programmes financed by the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in Portugal are intended to
make the Portuguese economy more competitive, stimulate growth and job creation, and provide citizens
with new opportunities.

The Honourable Member is no doubt aware of the significant results achieved so far thanks to Community
assistance, which has enabled Portugal to reduce part of its development shortfall.

It
is too soon to evaluate the results of programmes and projects financed for the 2000-2006
programming period. The Directorate-General for Regional Policy has published a macroeconomic impact
assessment study for the 2000-2006 period on its Inforegio website (1).

An interim evaluation of programmes financed under the third Community support framework will be
available at the end of 2003. It will enable the Commission to draw initial conclusions and to identify the
most effective programmes in relation to the objectives sought.

The future shape of Community cohesion policy after 2006 is currently still being discussed. The latest
stage in this process was the seminar with Structural Funds managers held on 3 and 4 March 2003.

In the third cohesion report at the end of 2003, the Commission will present proposals for future
cohesion policy after 2006. The financial perspective proposals for the post-2006 period will be presented
later. It is therefore not currently possible to give an indication of the amounts which Portugal might
receive after 2006.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/objective1/final_report.pdf.

(2003/C 268 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1119/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(1 April 2003)

Subject: Use of funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) by the municipality of

Carrara

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report
on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by
some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been
echoed by the Commission.