WRITTEN QUESTION No. 985/98 by Ben FAYOT to the Commission. Railway connection between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg
C 354/48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 (98/C 354/85) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0971/98 by Robin Teverson (ELDR) to the Commission (30 March 1998) Subject: Payments of EU structural fund allocations to Member States Would the Commission please indicate how and when it pays EU structural fund allocations to the Member States? For example, does it pay the UK Government an annual sum in advance for ERDF, ESF, EAGGF and FIFG, or does the UK Government claim the money retrospectively at certain times during the programme? I should be grateful for a detailed answer covering all four structural funds. Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (14 May 1998) The procedures for structural funds payments by the Commission to Member States are laid down in Article 21 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 as amended (1). The payments are made in relation to budgetary commitments at Community level and take the form either of advances or of final payments in respect of expenditure actually incurred. For each commitment up to 80% may be paid in the form of advances. The payment of the balance is conditional on submission to the Commission of a satisfactory report on progress with implementation of the programme concerned. These provisions apply to all structural funds and to all Member States, which are responsible in turn for ensuring that the final beneficiaries of the programmes receive payment as soon as possible. (1) OJ L 193, 31. 7. 1993. (98/C 354/86) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0985/98 by Ben Fayot (PSE) to the Commission (2 April 1998) Subject: Railway connection between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg These three major cities, two of them European capitals and all three European Parliament places of work, are poorly served by rail. The train takes between 2 hrs 15 mins and 2 hrs 30 mins to complete the journey of scarcely 200 kilometres between Brussels and Luxembourg. The frequency of services between Luxembourg and Strasbourg is moreover extremely low. Does the Commission not consider that the highly symbolic railway line joining these three European places of work is worthy of a special investment effort by the Member States concerned and by the European Union? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (15 May 1998) The Brussels-Luxembourg and Brussels-Strasbourg rail links are included in the planned high speed train (TGV) routes of the transport trans-European networks (TEN-T). This means that their strategic importance is recognised by the Community, and that Member States are committed to upgrading the present conventional rail services as resources permit. The French government has included the Metz-Luxembourg link in the first phase of the TGV Est, one of the TEN-T priority projects. This and the other upgrading work would be eligible for assistance from the TEN-T funds, should the Member States concerned wish to apply for it