WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2288/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. EU funding for Dublin Port Tunnel
C 82/52 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 17. 3. 98 Following the adoption of these decisions, consents will be granted by France allowing the placing on the market of these products so that they can be used like any other traditionally bred swede rape. The placing on the market of food and food ingredients containing, consisting of or derived from the genetically modified organisms in question falls under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 on novel food and novel food ingredients (2). In line with the precautionary principle on which Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (3) is based, the applicant provided all the necessary data and information to assess the potential impact on human health and the environment of the release of the products in question. The dossier submitted included studies on the seed germination ability of the transgenic B94-2 oilseed rape line, the response of transgenic spring oilseed rape lines to agronomic inputs, monitoring residual effects in previous transgenic oilseed rape field trials, detailed observations of insects foraging transgenic PGS oilseed rape plants, an oilseed rape seed digestion experiment, the oilseed rape seed quality analysis of B94-2, a detailed oil and cake characterization of a benchtop processed transgenic oilseed rape hybrid, the detailed oilseed rape seed analysis of transgenic and non-transgenic oilseed rape, a phospho amino transfers (PAT) essay carried out on oilfree transgenic oilseed rape seeds, and the consumption of honey produced by honey bees foraging on transgenic oilseed rape. The two decisions were adopted following a favourable opinion by qualified majority from the regulatory committee established under Directive 90/220/EEC. (1) OJ L 164, 21. 6. 1997. (2) OJ L 43, 14. 2. 1997. (3) OJ L 117, 8. 5. 1990. (98/C 82/95) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2288/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (2 July 1997) Subject: EU funding for Dublin Port Tunnel How much funding have the Irish authorities sought to date from the European Union for the design and construction of the proposed Dublin Port Tunnel? How much has been allocated to date by the EU to this project? Have any decisions for further funding been made and are further payments likely in the foreseeable future? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (5 September 1997) On 9 June 1995, the Commission received an application from the Irish government requesting 3. 51 MECU in assistance from the Cohesion fund for part of the pre-construction phase of the proposed Dublin port access route. On 18 December 1995, the Commission approved a grant of 3. 19 MECU from the Cohesion fund for the project. This decision covered only the planning and design elements of the application and excluded an amount requested for land purchase. It did not cover any type of construction expenditure. On 30 January 1996, the Irish government requested that the amount of assistance should be increased to 5. 85 MECU and on 9 December 1996 the Commission approved a modification of the initial decision which raised the Cohesion fund contribution to the project to the amount requested. There was no change in the elements of the project covered by this second decision (land purchase and construction were not included). The amount of 5. 85 MECU is the total committed to the project by the Commission from the Cohesion fund. An amount of ECU 187 500 had been granted to the project before 9 June 1995 from the European regional development fund and this funding was also used for the planning and design phase. These two amounts are the total sum of grant aid from Community financial instruments to the project. The Irish government has not requested any additional assistance for the design and planning phase nor for any subsequent phase. Since no further application for assistance has been received, the question of further decisions by the Commission about grant aid to the project does not arise