WRITTEN QUESTION E-0092/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. High-speed rail link between northern Portugal and Galicia.
21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/81 (2000/C 330 E/087) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0088/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (26 January 2000) Subject: Inclusion of Galicia in the trans-European high-speed rail networks during the 2000-2006 period Is it true that the Spanish Government has submitted to the Commission a proposal for Galicia to be included in the trans-European high-speed rail networks as part of the reform which is due to take place in the current year (2000) and which has been announced by the Commissioner responsible for relations with the European Parliament, transport and tourism as being scheduled for the current month of January? (2000/C 330 E/088) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0092/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: High-speed rail link between northern Portugal and Galicia (26 January 2000) There have been repeated reports in the Galician media that moves are under way to investigate the possibility of setting up a high-speed railway, following the decision taken by the Northern Portuguese Regional Coordinating Committee and the Galician Government. The Union is providing 50 % of the funding to cover the cost of the necessary study. However, according to the answer given by the Spanish Government in the Congress of Deputies to the BNG (Galician Nationalist Bloc) spokesman, the plans appear to be modest, since the intention is merely to build lines capable of carrying traffic moving no faster than 160 km/h. This information is consistent with other statements by Portuguese government spokesmen to the effect that the latter Government is proposing to relegate the La Coruæa to Setœbal high- speed line to a marginal role, focusing exclusively instead on the Oporto to Lisbon line, which links up to Madrid. Can the Commission confirm the above points and, should they be correct, say why traffic between Galicia and Portugal is to be restricted to such a slow speed? How soon might the work be completed, and when is the railway ü so vital for the development of both frontier regions ü likely to come into operation? (2000/C 330 E/089) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0093/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: Investment in Galiciaís railways during the 2000-2006 period (26 January 2000) The Spanish Government Minister Mariano Rajoy and the Galician Government Economics Adviser XosØ Antón Orza have publicly stated that the Spanish Government is to invest 150 000 million pesetas (901,4 million euros) in Galiciaís railways during the 2000-2006 period. Can the Commission confirm this figure and state categorically that, as a result of such investment, Galicia will definitely be linked to the trans-European high-speed rail network and that its internal network will also be modernised? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0088/00, E-0092/00 and E-0093/00 given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (13 March 2000) At the current stage of the thought being given to the revision of the Community approach towards the trans-European transport network ü Parliament and Council Decision No 1692/96/EC of 23 July 1996 (1), the Commission has not been aware of any specific new high-speed projects in Spain. The amounts mentioned by the Honourable Member have, in the main, been set aside for upgrading the conventional