WRITTEN QUESTION E-0661/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Galicia and the Transeuropean Rail Networks.
C 374 E/128 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 (2000/C 374 E/151) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0661/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: Galicia and the Transeuropean Rail Networks (9 March 2000) The President of Galicia, Mr Manuel Fraga, along with the President of Castille and Leon, Mr Lucas, has announced in the Galician press that he intends to hold talks with the Commission to secure pesetas 600 000 million (EUR 3 610 million) worth of the Cohesion Fund monies earmarked for Spain, for the purpose of incorporating Galicia, via Castille and Leon, into the transeuropean high speed rail network. Since Mrs Loyola de Palacio, the transport Commissioner, has repeatedly said that the decision on the high speed links for the period 2000-2006 under the Cohesion Fund would be taken by the Spanish Government, with which President Fraga should have considerable direct influence, particularly as regards preventing Galicia from being disciminated against in the full scale Europe-wide modernisation of the railways, will the Commission please tell me the purpose of its possibly being approached by Mr Fraga in this way? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (3 April 2000) The Commission is not in a position to comment on the meaning of or intention behind the statements of presidents of the Autonomous Communities. The Commissioner responsible for transport was referring to one of the criteria which projects must meet to receive part-funding from the Cohesion Fund under Article 10(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/ 94 (1) instituting the Cohesion Fund. This lays down that the priority assigned by a Member State to a given project is one of the qualitative criteria which must be contained in any project proposal put to the Commission. In the case of transport projects, and more particularly those relating to the development of trans-European transport networks, the central government authorities are responsible for setting these national priorities. (1) OJ L 130, 25. 5. 1994. (2000/C 374 E/152) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0665/00 by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission (29 February 2000) Subject: Echeloní telecommunications monitoring system. Involvement of the United Kingdom Is the Commission aware of the revelations which have appeared in a number of newspapers and which featured in a news bulletin broadcast on 21 February 2000 by the international French-language television channel TV5 concerning the Campbell report, according to which the United Kingdom is involved in a telecommunications monitoring system known as Echeloní which is run by the USA and whose coverage extends to include Europe? Under the terms of a secret agreement concluded in 1948 with the USA, the United Kingdom provides facilities for the equipment needed for this gigantic áearí, which is capable of intercepting any kind of communication. The Campbell report maintains that the USA has used the system not only for military purposes but also in order to benefit US industries and companies at the expense of European ones. Is the Commission aware of these revelations?