WRITTEN QUESTION E-3817/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Road tolls charged on the Attic Highway in Athens.
Date: 2003-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Attica, EU financial instrument, charges for use of infrastructure, motorway, road building, toll

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/101

(2004/C 84 E/0138)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3791/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(11 December 2003)

Subject: Update on funding for the municipality of Ancona under the action programme to promote civil

protection

In reply to my earlier question E-1091/03 (1) asking whether the municipality of Ancona had submitted
projects and obtained funding under the action programme to promote civil protection, the Commission
said on 22 April 2003 that the municipality had not submitted any application.

Can the Commission say whether, since that date, any projects have been submitted and what the outcome
was?

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003, p. 144.

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3779/03, E-3780/03, E-3781/03,
E-3782/03, E-3783/03, E-3784/03, E-3785/03, E-3786/03,
E-3787/03, E-3788/03, E-3789/03, E-3790/03 and E-3791/03
given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 2004)

The Commission refers to its joint answer given to the Honourable Member’s written questions E-0829/03,
E-0889/03, E-1091/03, E-1092/03, E-1093/03, E-1094/03, E-1095/03, E-1096/03, E-1097/03,
E-1098/03, E-1099/03, E-1100/03, E-1101/03, E-1102/03 and E-1103/03 on 22 April 2003 (1).

On 8 August 2003, a call for proposals in the field of Community cooperation as regards civil protection
was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2). Out of 25 proposals received, five have
been selected, of which one was presented by the Municipality of Rome. None of the other Italian
municipalities presented proposals to the Commission.

The next call for proposals in this context will be published at the end of February 2004. The Honourable
Member
internet page http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/funding/
intro_en.htm on which this last call under the Community action programme in the field of civil
protection will be announced.

invited to consult

the

is

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003, p. 144.
(2) OJ C 188, 8.8.2003.

(2004/C 84 E/0139)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3817/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Road tolls charged on the ‘Attic Highway’ in Athens

(12 December 2003)

On 30 November 2003 the Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis, inaugurated (at a party political event)
the penultimate stretch of the ‘Attic Highway’ (at least that was what was announced). This Highway has
been brought into service in stretches over the last year and a half, and road tolls have been rising
continuously for private vehicles, reaching EUR 2 on 1 December 2003. It has now been announced that
they will be increased to EUR 2,8 or more after the Olympic Games.

The Greek press has very accurately described the ‘Attic Highway’ as ‘the most expensive road in Europe’,
since no other road is so expensive to use. It should also be noted that the cost is not geared to the
number of kilometres covered: thus a user who covers 40 kilometres along the ‘Attic Highway’ pays
exactly the same amount as another user who covers only three kilometres.

C 84 E/102

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

How does the Commission view the size of the road tolls charged and the non-differentiation of costs for
users? Is the above arrangement in line with the provisions of Community legislation? Who collects the
road tolls charged on the ‘Attic Highway’? What was the original budget of the Highway and what is the
final cost? What is the overall extent of the Community financial contribution (loans, resources from the
third Community Support Framework, etc.) in realising the project?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2004)

Directive 1999/62/EC (1) covers the levying of taxes, tolls and user charges on lorries of 12 tonnes and
more. Member States levying tolls on vehicles below 12 tonnes, including private cars, do not have to
comply with the provisions contained in Directive 1999/62/EC.

In addition, the Directive does not concern the introduction of specific urban traffic charges nor regulatory
charges specifically designed to combat time and place-related traffic congestion. The Attica motorway is
an urban motorway with the aim of linking settlements in the Attica Basin in order to contribute to traffic
decongestion in the capital area. The imposition of a flat rate toll does not infringe the provisions of the
Directive.

According to the information provided to the Commission by the Greek Authorities, the amount of the
toll is related to the cost of construction and operation of the motorway by the contractor, which was
chosen after a public tender procedure. It should also be noted that the concession period when the
contractor will apply the tolls is limited to 23 years and the maximum toll for passenger cars has been
determined at EUR 1,56 in June 1994 prices. After inflation, this equates today to a maximum toll of
around EUR 3 (including VAT).

The European Investment Bank has approved a loan of EUR 645 million to the concessionnaire of Attiki
Odos. This loan is used by the concessionnaire as the private sector contribution to the project defined by
the concession contract.

The Trans-European Network (TEN) budget of the European Union has co-financed the studies of ‘Attiki
Odos’to a total amount of EUR 34 million.

The Regional Operational Programmes 1989-1993 and 1994-1999 for Attika have contributed a total
amount of EUR 53 million of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to Attiki Odos. The
Operational Programme ‘Road Axes 1994-1999’ has co-financed Attiki Odos with EUR 135 million of the
ERDF.

An application has been received by the Commission from the Greek Authorities requesting the
confirmation of the co-financing of Attiki Odos by the ERDF under the Operational Programme ‘Road
Axes, Ports, Urban Development 2000-2006’. The Commission is currently examining this application.

(1) Directive 1999/62/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999 on the charging of heavy goods

vehicles for the use of certain infrastructure, OJ L 187, 20.7.1999.

(2004/C 84 E/0140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3822/03

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 December 2003)

Subject: Serious negative impact on habitats and species of Community interest on the island of Mallorca

The current Mallorcan regional government (Consell de Mallorca) has decided to amend the Sectorial
Roads Masterplan. The amendment involves building a major road (Inca-Manacor), two motorways (Inca-