WRITTEN QUESTION E-3146/03 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Waterways and cultural tourism between Switzerland and the Adriatic.
Date: 2003-10-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Italy, Switzerland, cross-border cooperation, environmental protection, inland waterway, network of navigable waterways, project management, regional cooperation, transport infrastructure

C 84 E/54

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of a number of cases where Union nationals who are not resident in the United
Kingdom have experienced difficulties in opening a bank account.

Article 3(1) of the anti-money laundering Directive (1) stipulates that banks should identify their customers
on the basis of ‘supporting evidence’.

United Kingdom banks are, therefore, obliged under the Directive to know their customer and apply
proper customer due diligence procedures. Banks are increasingly punctilious about customer identification
as failure to carry out proper anti-money laundering controls can have extremely serious consequences for
them. There is, however, no requirement in United Kingdom law that prevents a bank from opening an
account for a non-resident customer or a customer who is in the process of changing his country of
residence.

United Kingdom banks follow or should follow the Guidance Notes issued by the Joint Money Laundering
Steering Group. These set out the recommended procedures to be followed for various account opening
situations. The fact that a person arriving to take up residence in the United Kingdom does not yet have a
permanent address in the United Kingdom should not preclude the opening of a bank account.
The Commission would recommend that persons encountering difficulties in opening an account should
make reference to the Guidance Notes.

It must be noted, however, that freedom of contract applies in this area in the United Kingdom and a bank
cannot be obliged to establish contractual relations with a customer if it does not wish to do so.

(1) Council Directive 91/308/EEC of 10 June 1991 on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of
money laundering, OJ L 166, 28.6.1991 as amended by Directive 2001/97/EC of the Parliament and of the Council
of 4 December 2001, OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.

(2004/C 84 E/0061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3146/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(23 October 2003)

Subject: Waterways and cultural tourism between Switzerland and the Adriatic

The Commission has doubtless heard of the plans for the Locarno-Milan-Pavia-Venice waterway, work to
reopen which has been launched by the Lombardy Regional Council with the approval of the Piedmont
Regional Council and the Swiss Confederation. The programme Interreg III A Italy-Switzerland 2000-2006,
which is currently being implemented in respect of designs for the restoration of canal structures, has in
fact already been endorsed. This project comprises the renovation of infrastructure and the replacement of
the bridges on the Grande and Pavia canals in the Milan region. This work, which has both multifunctional
and heritage objectives concerns the oldest navigable canal in Europe (the Naviglio Grande) and the last
canal to be built in the Milan region (the Naviglio di Pavia). The latter was the most important work of
waterways architecture to be built in Europe in the early 1900s. The total cost of the project is expected to
be around EUR 40 million.

Could the Commission indicate how much has been allocated to this project under the Interreg IIIA

1.
programme?

2.
In view of the value to tourism and culture of restoring the navigational link between Sesto Calende
and Pavia by way of the canals referred to above, would the Commission not agree with the prime
importance of rehabilitating this infrastructure with a view to establishing a navigable route between
Locarno and Venice?

Does it not consider the construction of waterway infrastructure that

3.
landscape-friendly, to be equally as important as major road and rail infrastructure projects?

is environmentally and

3.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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4. Would it be prepared to finance this rehabilitation within the bounds and in the ways set out in the
programmes currently running?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 2003)

The Commission considers that investment in infrastructure for inland navigable waterways of helps to
maintain the fluidity of the various modes of transport (river/road, railway and sea) and hence their
satisfactory operation. It has part-financed work on navigable waterways, in particular under the Trans-
European Networks and the Structural Funds.

The total financial appropriation for the Interreg III A Italy-Switzerland programme is EUR 74 442 644 mil-
lion. Of this the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will be contributing EUR 25 560 000 mil-
lion.

As regards the environment and protection of nature, the Locarno-Milan ‘cultural tourism’ navigable
waterway (Sesto Calende-Lonate Pozzolo stretch)
is covered by the above programme (Priority 2
Development of cooperation in land management and conservation of the environmental and cultural
heritage, Measure 2.3 Integration and improvement of transport infrastructure and systems), one of whose
main purposes is to support alternative means of transport and expand the range of options available for
group tourism.

The Italy-Switzerland Programming Committee has approved two projects relating to navigation between
Locarno and Milan. The first is a study on the Locarno-Milan route and the second is the actual work to be
done on the Sesto Calende-Lonate Pozzolo stretch, which is the part of the route located in the zones
covered by the programme. The total cost of
the two projects is EUR 1 250 000 and the ERDF
contribution EUR 346 500.

The Commission complies with the provisions on management of assistance contained in the Structural
Fund Regulations. Thus, the scrutiny, assessment and selection of the actual projects to be included in each
programme is entirely a matter for the national and regional authorities appointed by the Member States
to act as managing authorities and provide members of the monitoring and steering committees for
programmes. The Commission is involved in programming only at the general level and in the committees
has solely an advisory function. The correct selection procedures must be observed for projects and they
must meet the eligibility criteria set in the programme.

(2004/C 84 E/0062)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3191/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(28 October 2003)

Subject: Alleged violation of Community company law by Telecom Italia in the Telekom Serbia affair

In addition to having been shown to be extremely prejudicial to Italy, Telecom Italia’s acquisition of a 29 %
stake in Telekom Serbia would seem to have been carried out in violation of EU company law with regard
to the responsibility of directors vis-à-vis shareholders in joint stock companies. The board of directors,
which was responsible for the acquisition, is in fact guilty of having concluded harmful negotiations, while
being fully aware of having caused serious losses and of having failed to take the necessary steps to assess
such losses correctly. The shares were bought at a price much higher than their actual value and with no
consideration for the risk involved in investing in a country with a very low average income (EUR 1 900),
a very high inflation rate and a non-convertible currency, and which is one of the 21 countries in which
there is a danger of instability. A 16 % penalty and a commission of around EUR 15 000 were paid to the