WRITTEN QUESTION E-2392/99 by Jean-Claude Martinez (TDI) to the Commission. Lethal flooding in the south of France.
C 225 E/122 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 8. 8. 2000 The Commissionís proposal is accompanied by a financial statement. The proposal is expected to entail an increase in expenditure of EUR 77 million and an increase in income of EUR 30 million. The impact on the budget of applying a tariff-only system is not quantifiable at this stage. (1) SEC(1999) 1820 final. (2000/C 225 E/129) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2391/99 by Gorka Knörr Borràs (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Irregularities in the construction of the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona high speed train link Two senior members of staff of the Railway Investment Management Body (GIF) which comes under the Spanish Governmentís Ministry of Public Works. Have recently been dismissed after giving contracts worth 5 billion pesetas to companies with which they have shareholding links for construction work on the Madrid-Barcelona-Zaragoza high-speed train link. Given that the EUís Cohesion Fund is co-funding this construction work is the Commission aware of these irregularities and if so, does it believe that they should be investigated by the Community authorities? Does the Commission believe that these facts could delay the high-speed train link or endanger its EU co- funding? Has the Commission asked the Spanish Government for clarification, and if so, will it do so? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (20 January 2000) The Commission is aware of the resignation of two members of the staff of the GIF (the body managing railway infrastructure) and of the opening of an administrative inquiry. This inquiry, conducted by the Spanish Ministry of Transport ( Fomentoí), was intended to establish whether there was a link between these members of staff and the two companies awarded contracts for construction work on the high-speed railway line from Madrid to Barcelona and the French border and whether those companies received preferential treatment. The Minister responsible recently presented the results of the inquiry to the Spanish Parliament. The contracts in question are not receiving part-financing from the Cohesion Fund but form part of two groups of projects for which the Spanish authorities have applied for part-financing. This application is currently being considered. The Commission is awaiting the results of the inquiry carried out by the Spanish authorities before deciding what measures to take. (2000/C 225 E/130) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2392/99 by Jean-Claude Martinez (TDI) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Lethal flooding in the south of France In November 1999, torrential rain, floods, landslides and broken material swept through four southern French dØpartements, Aude, HØrault, Tarn and the PyrØnØes Orientales, causing widespread devastation and more than 30 deaths, destroying roads, railway lines and all public electricity, water and telephone 8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/123 networks. Is the Commission prepared immediately to set in motion the budgetary procedure aimed at getting emergency financial aid to the victims of natural disasters? Does it intend to draw this aid from the 1999 budget so as to enable the first of these payments to be made before the end of the year, as was the case with Turkey which received 180 million euros (or more than one billion francs) for the financial year 1999 following the earthquake on 17 August? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (11 January 2000) The Commission immediately expressed its great concern about in November 1999. the floods in the south of France It would, however, remind the Honourable Member that for several years there has been no special heading in the Community budget to provide emergency aid for natural disasters in the Member States. The Commission informed the French authorities that, under the next programming period for regional and cohesion policy (2000-2006), it could contribute to repairs to infrastructure and eligible equipment in the disaster areas, provided those areas were eligible under the Structural Funds (new Objective 2 or transitional arrangements for Objectives 2 or 5(b)). Further assistance for agricultural structures could also be provided from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. (2000/C 225 E/131) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2393/99 by Jean-Claude Martinez (TDI) to the Council (13 December 1999) Subject: Lethal flooding in the south of France In November 1999, torrential rain, floods, landslides and broken material swept through four southern French dØpartements, Aude, HØrault, Tarn and the PyrØnØes Orientales, causing widespread devastation and more than 30 deaths, destroying roads, railway lines and all public electricity, water and telephone networks. Is the Council prepared immediately to set in motion the budgetary procedure aimed at getting emergency financial aid to the victims of natural disasters? Does it intend to draw this aid from the 1999 budget so as to enable the first of these payments to be made before the end of the year, as was the case with Turkey which received 180 million euros (or more than one billion francs) for the financial year 1999 following the earthquake on 17 August? Reply (28 February 2000) The Honourable Member asks whether the Council could open a budgetary procedure to release emergency aid appropriations for the victims of natural disasters in the south of France. A heading entitled Emergency aid to disaster victims in the Communityí appeared in the budget until the end of the 1997 financial year. As from the preliminary draft 1998 budget it ceased to be proposed because of criticism by the European Parliamentís Committee on Budgets, which argued that such aid should be granted at national level and not from the Community budget. As a result, humanitarian aid appropriations in the general budget are solely for third countries. A procedure similar to the aid given to Turkey, which is a third country, cannot therefore be envisaged for France. In any case, the responsibility for any initiative to commit appropriations allocated in the general budget by the budgetary authority rests with the Commission. It is therefore up to the Commission to see whether people and areas affected by natural disasters, such as that referred to in the question, can be helped by releasing appropriations from other chapters of the budget