WRITTEN QUESTION E-0093/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Investment in Galicia's railways during the 2000-2006 period.
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 C 330 E/82 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 railway lines to Galicia in order to achieve speeds of roughly 200 kilometres per hour (km/h) between Madrid and Monforte de Lemos, and upgrading the conventional lines to Orense and Santiago and towards La Coruna, Vigo et Oporto (Portugal). As regards the development study of the Vigo-Oporto Atlantic corridor referred to by the Honourable Member, the Commission would confirm that 50 % of the total cost of that study was co-financed in 1999. Its basic aim covered the following two areas: launching transport infrastructure projects in the areas being examined (Galicia and Northern Portugal) while seeking practical joint public/private funding options, and gradually helping to integrate the ground, sea and air transport infrastructure networks, thus guaranteeing the lasting mobility of persons and goods. The results of the study are expected in 2001. (1) OJ L 228, 9. 9. 1996. (2000/C 330 E/090) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0091/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (26 January 2000) Subject: Milk production surpluses and quotas allocated to the Member States Does the Commission consider it reasonable and in accordance with what the European Union needs in order to be able to develop evenly (particularly in view of the increasing openness of its markets to outside economies) for there to be continued discrimination in the allocation of milk quotas to the Member States? The quotas allocated bear no relation to domestic consumption, as demonstrated by the fact that, in recent years, countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark have had surpluses for export of 6 746, 4 301 and 2 507 tonnes per year whilst Spain had a shortage of 1 004 tonnes, a quantity which it could perfectly easily have produced itself, especially in regions with the appropriate skills and capacity and, in particular, in Objective 1 regions such as Galicia. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (23 February 2000) Milk quotas were allocated on the basis not of consumption in geographical zones but of each farmerís production over a reference period. This was the only efficient way of acting. If the production quota in each Member State had been restricted to its probable consumption the farmers concerned would have been seriously wronged, it would have been impossible to allocate quotas fairly and a substantial section of European agriculture would have been destroyed. In addition a full milk supply for the Community would no longer have been certain. It is likewise for reasons of efficiency that farmersí individual quotas are established and administered at Member State level. Community-level management would require a large staff and have numerous drawbacks, with cumulated errors and delays in the Member States eventually paralysing the system. Moreover, the free circulation of goods means that any regional imbalance between production and consumption can easily be remedied and is in line with the single market principle that ensures best distribution of the factors of production. In Spain in 1999 there were 1 150 tonnes of skimmed milk powder in intervention storage and 12 631 tonnes of butter were bought in by intervention. Thus even before entry into force of the Spanish quota increase decided on under Agenda 2000 the Spanish market was in surplus for these products. By comparison for the same period in Denmark, to which the Honourable Member refers, there were no intervention stocks and no milk products were bought in