WRITTEN QUESTION E-3361/03 by Koenraad Dillen (NI) to the Commission. Ijzeren Rijn railway line.
Date: 2003-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, common transport policy, rail network, trans-European network

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/529

From the information provided, it seems that an environmental impact statement (EIS), and consequently
an EIA, has been carried out for this project. However, the Honourable Member considers that the
information provided in the EIS, in particular as regards soil erosion, was inadequate. According to the
Honourable Member, the execution of the project may be linked to a major land-slide.

In the light of the above, the Commission will investigate this matter with the Irish authorities and provide
additional information to the Honourable Member.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2004/C 78 E/0550)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3361/03

by Koenraad Dillen (NI) to the Commission

(14 November 2003)

Subject: Ijzeren Rijn railway line

The Ijzeren Rijn line is an example of a European transport route which is useful for an open economy.
It links not only the port of Antwerp but also the ports of Ghent, Zeebrugge and Ostend with the Ruhr
and the German hinterland. The Ijzeren Rijn exists and has proved its usefulness in the past, but has ceased
to be used for several decades because the cost of environmental improvements such as the building of
tunnels in certain places would be far too high to permit the line to become profitable in the near future.
The Netherlands Government has been using this argument as a pretext to prevent any action on the
matter. However, because of the growing transport problems and the exponential growth in container
traffic, Flanders feels the need to bring this line back into operation. Germany, and particularly the Land of
North Rhine-Westphalia, have supported Flanders for years in calling for this economically necessary
development. However, unfortunately the Netherlands has adopted a policy of obstruction with regard to
it, which is inspired by its own plans to create a modern link between the port of Rotterdam and the Ruhr
by means of the exorbitantly expensive and environmentally undesirable Betuwe line, which will not
benefit any other European country economically. Europe now formally recognises the importance of
international railway lines.

Is the Commission monitoring developments with regard to the Ijzeren Rijn line?

Will the Commission try to secure a breakthrough at European level with regard to this vital matter, such
as to arrive at a solution satisfactory to all parties?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 2003)

The Commission monitors the developments in relation to the Iron Rhine (Ijzeren Rijn) link between
Antwerp and the German Ruhr area with great interest. The Commission has included this link under
priority project No 24: Railway axis Lyon/Genova-Basel-Duisburg-Rotterdam/Antwerpen in its proposal for
the revision of the Guidelines for the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) (1). The countries
involved have committed themselves to implement this project, which completion is foreseen for 2010.
It should be observed though that the Betuwelijn link was part of the first serie of TEN-T projects, adopted
under the so-called Essen project list in 1996.

Belgium and the Netherlands have recently decided to submit their conflict on the Iron Rhine to the
Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The case is now at the pleading stage, and a ruling is
expected for mid-2004. Hopefully, the ruling of the Court will constitute the basis for a satisfactory
solution.

(1) COM(2003) 564 final.