WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4013/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Dublin's light railway system, Luas
16. 6. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 187/109 Glass eels are caught as they migrate up rivers on the final leg of their migration from the Sargasso Sea. The competence of managing glass eel fisheries has up to now lain primarily with Member States and a range of national control measures exist, depending on the traditional patterns of exploitation and use. Five Member States ban commercial fishing for glass eels and elvers, while a regional ban exists in a sixth Member State. In the southern Member States where there is a tradition of consuming smaller eels, glass eel fishing is permitted but controls are applied to fishing gear, open season or fishing and dealing licences. A recently completed report on management of the European eel (concerted action of the agricultural and agro-industry research programme (AIR) A94-1939) has shown that returns of glass eels have fallen. This is a matter of concern and the Commission in September 1997 requested the International Council for the exploration of the sea (ICES) to provide advice on possible management actions to ensure a sustainable development of the eel fisheries within the Community. This advice should be provided in 1998 and any possible proposal on management measures, including restocking, will be deferred until then. The Commission will, on the basis of the analyses mentioned above and any other assessment data necessary, take any action it deems appropriate to restrict exports of elvers from the Community. World Trade Organisation rules would have to be respected. (98/C 187/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4013/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Dublinís light railway system, Luas What amount of EU funds has been allocated to financing preparatory work on the Ballymun line of the Luas, Dublinís planned light railway system? How much has the EU allocated so far on preparatory work on the entire Luas project? Does it intend to allocate any further funding for such preparatory work in the foreseeable future? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (6 February 1998) Under the Transport operational programme (1994-1999) it is proposed to cofinance 216 MECU of expenditure on the LUAS project at an aid rate of 65% (i. e. a European regional development fund grant of 140 MECU). Furthermore, following the recent mid term review (MTR) of the Irish Community support framework (CSF) it was agreed to allocate an additional 10 MECU towards financing preparatory work on the third LUAS line to Ballymun. The most recent figures available on this project relate to expenditure up to 5 October 1997. Up to this date, total cofinanced expenditure of 20. 471 MECU has been incurred with respect to preparatory work on the entire LUAS project, of which 0. 045 MECU relates to the Ballymun line. An additional figure of 0. 082 MECU non cofinanced expenditure relates to preparatory work on the extension to Sandyford. Following the MTR, it has been agreed that the CSF monitoring committee will make a definitive decision on this project in the spring of 1998. Until this time therefore, when the project is to be reviewed and a decision taken, preparatory planning and design work on the LUAS project will continue to be financed