WRITTEN QUESTION P-2974/03 by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission. Spain's lack of commitment to building the motorway linking Salamanca with Portugal.
Date: 2003-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, common transport policy, competence of the Member States, motorway, project management, road building, trans-European network

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/251

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 2003)

Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999, concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term
1.
work concluded by ETUC, UNICE and CEEP does not provide for transformation of fixed-term contracts
into permanent contracts.

It states, however, that in order to prevent abuse arising from the use of successive fixed-term contracts,
the Member States must introduce at least one of the following measures:

(a) objective reasons justifying the renewal of fixed-term contracts or relationships;

(b)

the maximum total duration of successive fixed-term contracts or relationships;

(c)

the number of renewals of such contracts or relationships.

It is the Member States who, after consultation with the social partners, determine under what conditions
the fixed-term employment contracts shall be regarded as ‘successive’ and when they shall be deemed to be
contracts of indefinite duration.

It is for the authorities in the Member States, and ultimately for the European Court of Justice, to
the company

2.
determine what could be considered objective reasons for renewals.
employing the workers is temporary, it seems that this could constitute an objective reason.

If the nature of

Negotiating and concluding collective agreements is an extremely important tool for regulating
3.
working conditions. It is recognised as such in the EC Treaty as well as in Community legislation and it is
also mentioned in the European Union Charter on Fundamental Rights. The procedure for concluding
collective agreements is however determined by national law. There is no Community legislation which
obliges an individual employer to conclude a collective agreement.

The Commission is currently examining the national measures transposing Directive 1999/70/EC.
it will start

the transpostition is incorrect or

incomplete,

that

4.
Should these examinations reveal
infringement procedures if necessary.

(2004/C 65 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2974/03

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: Spain’s lack of commitment to building the motorway linking Salamanca with Portugal

Anyone driving from the heart of Europe to Salamanca in Spain has four-lane roads at their disposal all
the way.

From Salamanca onwards, there are only two narrow lanes, which means that everyone has to travel at the
speed of lorries.

Where the road leaves Salamanca in the direction of Portugal, there are huge billboards announcing the
building of a new four lane road co-funded by the EEC. In reality, until about half way to Ciudad Rodrigo
(the last Spanish town before the Portuguese border), work is proceeding so slowly, that at the point where
it stops it consists of nothing more than earth moving.

From Ciudad Rodrigo on, there is no work whatsoever being done, while as soon as the Portuguese border
is crossed, the entire road to A Guarda is being converted to four lanes.

C 65 E/252

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:1) what is the scheduled timetable for opening the four lane road between Salamanca and A Guarda;

(cid:1) what can the Commission do to get Spain to get on with building the approximately 30 km of new

road linking Ciudad Rodrigo with the Portuguese border?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2003)

The link between Salamanca-Fuentes de Oroño-Vilar Formoso-A Guarda is part of the trans-European
transport network (TEN-T) for road. It is also included in one of the 14 priority projects of the TEN-T,
project number 8, Multimodal link Portugal-Spain-Central Europe. Furthermore, it is to be noted that in
the framework of the High Level Group on trans-European transport network chaired by Mr Van Miert (1),
composed by representatives of each Member State, year 2010 was agreed as date for start of operation for
the whole link Lisboa-Valladolid.

The Commission is informed that as regards the Spanish national road N-620, between the French and the
Portuguese borders, which forms part of the European network E80, there is a four lane expressway all the
way between Irún and the north of Salamanca. The section between Salamanca and Fuentes de Oñoro on
the Portuguese border still remains to be converted to four lanes. The section west of Salamanca between
Aldehuela and Martín de Yeltes is already operational.

Currently, a large project concerning the construction of a four lane road between Martín de Yeltes and
Ciudad Rodrigo has been approved for Community financial support under the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the Operational Programme for the Spanish Region of
Castilla y León. The works cover a section of 32,9 kilometre (km) and are planned to be finalised in
October 2004. The section between Ciudad Rodrigo and Fuentes de Oñoro (approximately 29 km)
remains to be upgraded. Furthermore, the Commission is informed that the Spanish authorities have
already drawn up the plans for the corresponding projects for the full distance between Salamanca and
Fuentes de Oñoro.

The planning of the works being the exclusive competence of the national and regional authorities, the
Commission has no further information regarding the timetable of this project.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/ten/transport/revision/hlg_en.htm

(2004/C 65 E/267)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2977/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: High prices and inadequate veterinary inspections in Greece

According to Greek consumer organisations and the Greek Ministry of Development prices watchdog
body, consumer prices have increased steeply over the past year, while wholesalers (particularly in the
agricultural sector) are coming under growing criticism for purchasing products cheaply in situ and selling
them at very high prices, doubling or tripling the final amounts paid by consumers in Greece.

According to the most recent Eurostat data, per capita income in Greece amounts to scarcely 67 %-69 % of
the Community average while salaries and pensions there are among the lowest in the EU.

Added to this, the strike by veterinarians and related professions in the livestock sector has left enormous
gaps in the Greek meat marketing sector, legal livestock slaughtering having come to a halt in Greece
(without the necessary veterinary inspections) and large quantities of meat are being imported (mainly
from third countries) regarding which it is impossible to establish whether adequate inspections were
carried out in the countries of slaughter.