WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3571/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI , Gastone PARIGI , Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. High- speed trains (HST) and environmental impact
C 174/78 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 6. 98 (98/C 174/124) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3571/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI), Gastone Parigi (NI) and Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (13 November 1997) Subject: High-speed trains (HST) and environmental impact The reaction of local administrations, residents associations, environmental associations and environmental protection consortia to the planned Italian HST network on the Frejus-Turin-Milan-Venice, Milan-Genoa and Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples stretches is that environmental damage would be caused if the project were implemented as it now stands and would have a negative impact on health, the countryside and the equilibrium of the eco-system. A petition bearing 35 000 signatures has been sent to the EP. 1. 2. Is the Commission aware of the Italian plan? Does the project take account of the environmental impact assessment? Does the assessment come within the parameters laid down in Community directives on protection of the 3. environment and public health? 4. Following an initial pioneering experiment, can the Commission state whether preference should be given in the future to the variable trim technology (Pendolino) rather than to the technologies used for HST in other European countries? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (16 January 1998) As far as the Commission knows, the project to which the Honourable Members make reference, has been submitted to environmental impact assessment (EIA). Consequently, the Commission invites the Honourable Members to provide more precise and detailed information about the reported lack of care in respect of any environmental issues concerning the above mentioned project. Only on the basis of specific complaints, and with reference to the aspects falling within the scope of Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (1), is the Commission entitled to undertake the appropriate interventions such as requesting information from the Member State or starting an infringement procedure. The tilting train (Pendolino) technique enables a reduction of travel times and could contribute to a more efficient use of (existing) infrastructure. However, one should take into account that speed differences between trains on one line can cause significant capacity problems. Therefore, the tilting train cannot form a substitute for the modernisation and construction of infrastructure for high speed trains. (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985. (98/C 174/125) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3574/97 by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission (4 November 1997) Subject: Taxation of pension and retirement funds Does the Commission consider it to be compatible with Community law for the tax legislation of a Member State to provide for discriminatory tax treatment of contributions to pension and retirement funds and gains accruing therefrom according to where the fund is based or where the contract was signed, even though the countries concerned are other Member States? In this light, does the Spanish law on private insurance of 1995 comply with Community law?