92001E2466

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2466/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: A high-speed rail link between Galicia and Central Europe via France

Within the Trans-European Networks, what are the political and budgetary provisions for a high-speed rail link between North-West Spain, and Galicia in particular, and Central Europe via France?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-2455/01 and E-2466/01given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answers to Written Questions E-2189/01(1) and E-2030/01(2). The only recent development has been the formal adoption by the Commission on 2 October 2001 of a proposal to amend Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(3) and a proposal to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/95 of 18 September 1995 laying down general rules for the granting of Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks(4).

These proposals have been sent to Parliament and the Council. The first is designed to focus Community action on a number of new priorities and specific projects, comprising those projects selected by the European Councils of Essen on 9 and 10 December 1994 and Dublin on 13 and 14 December 1996 which have not yet been completed and eight new projects. The second proposal is designed to increase the maximum Community contribution to certain critical trans-European network projects, including railway bottlenecks crossing natural barriers, to 20 % of investment.

As the Commission has already announced in its White Paper European transport policy for 2010(5), the eight projects referred to above include the interoperability of the Iberian high-speed rail network on the basis of the Spanish and Portuguese national plans. As the Honourable Member has already been informed, this project includes Galicia's high-speed rail links.

(1) See page 36.

(2) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002, p. 49.

(3) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(4) OJ L 228, 23.9.1995.

(5) COM(2001) 370 final.