WRITTEN QUESTION E-2825/99 by Emilia Müller (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Completion of the Amberg-Waidhaus section of the A6 motorway.
C 330 E/60 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 3. ETF Start-up facility The Commission has approved investment commitments to nine funds selected by the EIF, for a total of up to € 54 million. Altogether, these nine funds are expected to raise a total pool of capital of € 306 million. The EIF signed contracts with seven of these funds for a total amount of € 38 million whereas other investors committed further € 151 million. Latest available figures show these seven funds had invested € 20,2 million. JEV Latest available figures show 104 applications have been submitted for a global amount of approximately € 8,75 million. The Commission has so far approved 65 applications for a budget of € 5,50 million, of which € 4,55 million come from the pilot action budget. SME guarantee facility The Commission has approved commitments to 15 financial intermediaries selected by the EIF for a total of up to € 90,2 million. The EIF has signed contracts with all 15 financial intermediaries. According to latest available figures the average utilisation rate of the EIF guarantees was 19,2 % (=actual volume guaranteed by the EIF/maximum contractual volume to be guaranteed by the EIF). The FIs have not claimed any loan defaults of the SMEs from the EIF so far. (2000/C 330 E/065) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2825/99 by Emilia Müller (PPE-DE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Completion of the Amberg-Waidhaus section of the A6 motorway The A6 motorway is part of the East-West artery of the trans-European transport network, linking Prague and Paris. It is of crucial importance especially in the context of enlargement to the East. However, according to the German Governmentís programme of works, the Amberg-Waidhaus section of the A6 is not due to be completed for the time being. Traffic flows from the East will continue to increase following the integration of the Czech Republic. The existing road network is congested and people living along highways in Germany are suffering from vehicle exhaust and noise pollution. What does the Commission intend to do to bring forward completion of the A6 motorway? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (6 March 2000) The new construction of the A6 motorway between Amberg and the German-Czech State border near Waidhaus has been identified in the guidelines for the development of a trans-European transport network (1) as a project of common interest. The Rozvadov ü Plzen ü Praha section is furthermore included in the TINAí outline plan, established by the Member States and the acceding countries, which forms a basis for the future extension of the trans-European transport network (2). The Commission, which is fully aware of the importance of the entire Nürnberg ü Praha axis for the traffic between current and future Member States, follows closely progress in the implementation of this project and supports it within the limits of its possibilities. The German section Amberg ü Waidhaus has already benefited from € 6,51 million financial aid under the trans-European transport network budget line. This contribution, the amount of which is limited by the corresponding Regulation (3), cannot however replace the financing of the project at national level. The German authorities informed the Commission that the project remains in the Bedarfsplaní (priority programme) for national roads and will be completed according to the planned technical standards. However some sub-sections (in particular in the Pfreimd ü Woppenhof area) could not be included in the 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/61 national investment plan for the period 1999-2002 where priority was given to those projects for which building permits are already available. The Commission considers that the financial aid granted so far has already contributed to reducing the financial difficulties of the Amberg ü Waidhaus project. (1) Decision No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community Guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network ü OJ L 228, 9. 9. 1996. (2) TINA: Transport Infrastructure Needs Assessment, initiated in the context of the structured dialogue between the Transport Council of the Community and the Transport Ministers of the associated countries in 1995; final report published in October 1999. (3) 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, OJ L 228, 23. 9. 1995 amended by Regulation (EC) No 1655/1999 of the Parliament and the Council of 19 July 1999. (2000/C 330 E/066) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/99 by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council (17 January 2000) Subject: Looting and trafficking in cultural objects of value in Kosovo Press reports claim that instances of the looting of monuments in Kosovo and trafficking in valuable objects stolen from them are constantly increasing in number, while no effort at all is being made to protect and save them. Archaeological monuments dating from Hellenic and Roman times, monasteries and churches containing priceless relics handed down through the centuries are now defenceless against marauding looters. No effort has yet been made to track down the perpetrators or to protect monuments from looting and there is, therefore, an immediate risk that priceless cultural objects will be destroyed or disappear. Has the Council taken any action to protect the monuments of Kosovo, which form part of the European cultural heritage, and what steps does it intend to take in the future to stamp out the trafficking in such objects? Reply (2 May 2000) The Council is aware of the threats to the historic heritage of Kosovo. The question of the protection of sites and monuments of great cultural and/or religious value has been raised several times at Council meetings. Article 151(3) of the Treaty establishing the European Community stipulates inter alia that áthe Commun- ity and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of culture, in particular the Council of Europe. í Implementation of Parliament and to the Council. this provision requires the Commission to submit a proposal to the European On 28 June 1999, at the meeting of Ministers for Culture and Audiovisual Matters, the Council invited the Commission to draw up a report on the current situation in the field, and a list of the measures taken until then. The European Commission promised to do so by the beginning of autumn 1999. The Council also stated that it favoured the idea of extending the mandate of the Agency for Reconstruction to culture. On 23 November 1999, it discussed the issue again on the basis of a report from the Commission on cultural actions implemented by the European Union, in the context of reconstruction aid aimed at Kosovo. This report contained proposals which addressed some of the concerns expressed by the Council