91999E0809

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0809/99

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission

(22 March 1999)

Subject: Progress of work to complete the northern road axis in Crete

According to information published recently by the Greek Ministry for Regional Planning, the Environment and Public Works, 55 km. of the northern road axis in Crete are expected to be opened to traffic in the Year 2000. This is an infrastructure project of capital importance for the development of the island, but implementation has for years been progressing at a snail's pace. This is confirmed by the recently published information which merely adds urgency to the question why completion of this project has been delayed for so long.

In particular, why was a time-consuming solution adopted under which the national authorities award contracts on a section by section basis, instead of a project manager being recruited, as occurred in the case of other road projects (for example, the Egnatia road project)?

Given that this project forms part of the CSF for Greece (Crete Regional Programme), will the Commission say what are the grounds for the excessive delays, whether there exists a time schedule for the completion of the project and when construction work is finally expected to be completed so that the road axis can be opened to the inhabitants of Crete?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(21 April 1999)

The improvement of the northern road axis in Crete is indeed a priority project of importance for the development of the region. The roads operational programme (OP) for 1994-99, the regional OP for Crete for the same period and the Interreg Community Initiative are all part-financing the construction of several sections of this road axis, which is due to be completed in 2000-01. So far there is no delay in implementation.

The Commission does indeed consider that the best way to ensure that major infrastructure construction projects part-financed by Community funds in Greece are carried out within a foreseeable and reasonable time, at a cost and to a quality that meet the standards and comply with the legislation in force, is generally for them to be managed by public limited liability companies. However, in the case of the part of the northern road axis in Crete to be built in 1994-99, since all the sections together will cover only 55 kilometres, there was no justification for creating a public limited liability company for this purpose alone.