WRITTEN QUESTION E-3872/03 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Impact of EU investment in the Júcar-Vinalopó water transfer.
Date: 2003-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU investment, fixing of prices, hydraulic works, water management, water supply

C 78 E/662

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

The concessionaire Stretto di Messina SpA has drawn up a financial plan without any public contribution
and will therefore proceed according to the announced timetable, starting with the selection of the general
contractor at the beginning of 2004.

A European contribution to the funding of investments would make the project easier to carry out by
reducing the financial risks and the time needed to pay off the investment, and would hence improve the
overall feasibility.

Excluding the bridge project from the ‘quick-start list’ would entail a considerable financial burden to be
borne by the users alone.

The important Declaration No 30 annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty, mentioned by the French Presidency
in Nice in December 2000, ‘recognises that island regions suffer from structural handicaps linked to their
island status, the permanence of which impairs their economic and social development’.

In view of this does the Commission not consider that it should once again consider including the bridge
over the Straits of Messina among the major projects benefiting from Community funding?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Financing of transport infrastructure in Southern Italy falls within the ambit of the National Transport
Operational Programme and the Regional Operational Programmes.

For
the period 2000-2006 EUR 1 801 313 000 has been allocated from the European Regional
Development Fund for projects in the National Programme and EUR 1 058 479 469 from the same Fund
for transport infrastructure covered by the Regional Programmes. More specifically, the Fund’s contribution
to transport projects under the Calabrian and Sicilian programmes has been set at EUR 136 048 000 and
EUR 295 376 000 respectively.

Selection of the infrastructure projects to be financed is a matter for the national and regional authorities
running the Operational Programmes. For that purpose the national and regional planning instruments for
the sector are used (general document on transport and logistics, regional transport plans).

A bridge over the Straits of Messina is not at present included in the projects selected by the Italian
authorities for Community financing in implementation of the Operational Programmes managed by the
Transport Ministry and Calabria and Sicily Regions.

On 1 October 2003 the Commission however proposed further modifications of the trans-European
transport network (TEN-T) guidelines and the TEN-T financial rules that are designed to facilitate
agreement by Council and Parliament so that, as requested by the European Council, amended provisions
can enter into force as soon as possible. The Commission’s aims are adjustment to the post-enlargement
situation and concentration of resources on priority projects. Among the 29 such projects scheduled in the
new proposal for implementation by 2020 is the mixed (passenger and freight) rail axis Berlin-Verona/
Milan-Bologna-Naples-Messina-Palermo, including a bridge over the Straits of Messina.

(2004/C 78 E/0706)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3872/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Impact of EU investment in the Júcar-Vinalopó water transfer

The agreement between the users of the Júcar-Vinalopó water transfer and the state company Aguas del
Júcar S.A. of 13 July 2001 explicitly states that neither Spanish state investments, nor those of the EU,

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Official Journal of the European Union

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described as ‘rest of the investment’ will have any impact on item (c) of Clause III of the Agreement.
This money will not be reclaimed from the users, neither in the form of water tariffs, nor repayments, nor
operational costs, nor in any other way.

Does the Commission not believe that treating Community funding in this way runs counter to the
following Community obligations: transparency in managing and applying European funds (recitals 26 and
57 and Articles 17 to 19, 34, 36 and 46 of Regulation 1260/1999 (1)); the ban on distorting competition
within the internal market by means of state aids (EC Treaty Article 87);
the
Community’s financial interests (EC Treaty Article 280); and the obligations on economic transparency and
the need to take due account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water-related services (Article 9
and Annex III of Directive 2600/60/EC (2)?

the protection of

On 2 June 2003, the Spanish state’s own lawyers recognised the independence of the nature of public
funds relative to the issue of including, within the regulation levies and water use tariffs, the monetary
sums financed with European funds in water regulation schemes.

Furthermore, account needs to be taken of the fact that 35 hm3 per year, of a total of 80 hm3 planned for
this water transfer, are intended for urban supply, for which it has been standard practice for years that the
users repay the investment via the tariffs. In the case of the Alicantí and Marína Baja, the fresh supplies are
basically designed to meet current rising tourist demand. This means that the Commission would be
funding, on a no-return basis, the Spanish tourist industry. Can the Commission accept this situation?

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2004)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2004/C 78 E/0707)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3874/03

by Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Imports into the EU of uncertified active pharmaceutical ingredients

Imports from outside the EU (mostly from India, China and other emerging Asian nations) of active
ingredients which have not received inspection certificates from any European authority are threatening to
cause lasting damage to Italy’s producers of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical
industry. The
products concerned enter the EU accompanied only by paper documentation (the Certificate of Suitability
or COS) stating that they conform to the contents of the European Pharmacopeia. This is not a sufficient
health guarantee. Italy’s producers of active ingredients for the global pharmaceutical
industry enjoy a
reputation for excellence, thanks to the quality and reliability of their products, which are guaranteed by
following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in line with the European guidelines (‘GMP Guide for
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients’), and to the fact that the products have been inspected either by the
American Food and Drug Administration or by the Italian health ministry.

Given the above, what action will the Commission take with a view to protecting the health of the
European public from imports of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical
industry produced by
companies from the above-named countries?