WRITTEN QUESTION E-3672/03 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Situation at the Sorefame company.
Date: 2003-12-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Portugal, aid to undertakings, company in difficulties, competence of the Member States, job preservation, railway industry

C 78 E/626

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

A further twinning entitled ‘Strengthening the struggle against money laundering, financial sources of
crime and the financing of terrorism’ with the Turkish National police will commence in late 2004. This
twinning is intended to eliminate any legal or practical difficulties in the freezing and confiscation of
terrorist assets, to assist the Turkish authorities to provide the widest possible range of assistance to other
countries’ law enforcement and regulatory authorities for terrorist financing investigations and to ensure
that entities, in particular non-profit organisations, cannot be misused to finance terrorism.

(2004/C 78 E/0661)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3672/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject: Situation at the Sorefame company

is known for its high
The Sorefame company, which commenced operations in Portugal
standards in terms of quality, capacity and technology in the manufacture and construction of large-scale
equipment, notably rolling stock.

in 1943,

Currently owned by Bombardier, it employs 550 workers directly and provides a further thousand jobs via
subcontracted enterprises.

However, Sorefame is now passing through difficult circumstances, despite the skilled workers and
operatives who enable it not only to manufacture rolling stock but also to plan and design that equipment,
representing a major economic and technological asset and ensuring the company recognition in terms of
quality and competitiveness.

Orders are now in short supply: the Bombardier group claims to be in a phase of global restructuring, and
is already hinting at closure of the Sorefame plant in Amadora (Portugal), should orders not begin to pick
up.

A number of plans are on the drawing-board in Portugal which, if acted on, could resolve this problem.
One of these is the strategic plan for more trains for the Lisbon and Oporto underground systems, as well
as for Oporto’s commuter train services and other networks.

Given the above, as well as comparable developments in other Member States:

1. What measures will the Commission take to support the normal functioning of Sorefame/Bombardier
in Portugal, in the light of the company’s contribution to employment and regional development?

2. Will the Commission support a policy of channelling Portuguese orders to this company, with a view
to preventing the short-term paralysis of its production line, given the impact that would have on its
workers’ jobs and recalling that unemployment is now rising faster in Portugal than in any other EU
Member State?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2004)

We must inform the Honourable Member that implementation of appropriate measures for sectors in crisis
in Portugal is a responsibility of the national authorities alone, which have in fact reached agreement with
us on introduction of support mechanisms for enterprises in the sector to which she refers and for public
investment (under the Economy and Transport Operational Programmes we have approved (1)).

On the question of Community support for new Portuguese orders placed with the enterprise to which she
refers, we must remind her that it is each Member State’s responsibility to ensure that the Community
Directives on public contracts are respected.

(1) C (2000) 1774, 28.7.2000; C (2000) 2382, 28.7.2000.