WRITTEN QUESTION P-2816/99 by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Interreg and maritime border regions.
21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/55 (2000/C 330 E/059) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2814/99 by Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE) and Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Ijzeren Rijn line trains through the middle of Dutch nature conservancy areas? Is the Commission aware that the Netherlands Minister of Transport, Tineke Netelenbos, intends to allow goods trains to use the Ijzeren Rijn route? They would permanently be allowed to pass through the Weerterbergen and Budelerbergen habitat areas near Weert and Budel, and could also temporarily transit another habitat area, de Meinweg, near Roermond. Statements to this effect were quoted by the Eindhovens Dagblad and De Limburger on 11 December 1999. Will the Commission call the Netherlands Government to account for its plan to violate European nature conservancy legislation, namely the Habitats Directive, in the Weerterbergen, Budelerbergen and Meinweg areas? If so, when and how? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (14 February 2000) The Commission is not aware of any decision taken by the Dutch authorities to allow the re-opening of the existing route of the Iron Rhine railway line through the Weerterbergen, Budelerbergen and Meinweg area. The Commission has not seen the articles in the newspapers that are mentioned by the Honourable Members. According to the information that the Commission received so far ü i. e. statements of the Dutch prime minister ü the Dutch authorities will make an environmental impact assessment as well as an assessment in line with Article 6(3) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna (1) before the decision about the re-opening of the Iron Rhine railway line will be taken. Furthermore, a trilateral working group has been created, with Belgian and German government representatives, the route. The Commission understands that this working group is now considering commissioning further technical studies of the route, which may be supported by Community funds under the Trans-European networks (TENs) framework. The project to redevelop the Iron-Rhine route has already been allocated € 1 million in TENs funding. to consider the possible redevelopment of The Commission would also refer the Honourable Members to its answer to written question P-1875/99 (2) by Mr de Roo, in which it said that it would ask the Dutch authorities for more information about the re- opening of the Iron Rhine railway line and its implications under the relevant directives, and that it would take no other steps for the present, since it had no indication so far that there had been an infringement of any directive. Subsequent contacts between the Commission and the Dutch authorities indicate no reason for the Commission to change the position that it has taken. (1) OJ L 206, 22. 7. 1992. (2) OJ C 170 E, 26. 6. 2000, p. 113. (2000/C 330 E/060) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2816/99 by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission (7 January 2000) Subject: Interreg and maritime border regions By including certain maritime border regions in the Annex to the Interreg Guidelines, the Commission accepted that there is value in assisting maritime border regions to work closely under strand A. The Commission does not, however, recognise that other maritime border regions can demonstrate solid grounds for inclusion in Interreg IIIA as the list of eligible regions is presently restricted to regions which benefited from Interreg A funds during the last programming period. C 330 E/56 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 New maritime borders can show that they are able to develop the close partnerships envisaged under Interreg IIIA as well as produce specific concrete outputs. They have: ü long-standing and developed links across the maritime border, including ferry and commercial links; ü support and commitment to cross-border cooperation from multisectoral local partnerships. Would the Commission consider introducing the necessary flexibility into the Interreg Guidelines so that these additional maritime border regions can benefit from this funding programme? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (10 February 2000) Under the draft communication from the Commission to the Member States laying down guidelines for a Community Initiative (Interreg) for the 2000-06 programming period, approved by the Commission on 13 October 1999 (1), cooperation between maritime regions will be developed under the three strands provided for in the Initiative: cross-border cooperation (strand A), transnational cooperation (strand B) and interregional cooperation (strand C). The primary aim of strand A is to promote cross-border cooperation between neighbouring local and regional development authorities, i. e. between areas with land borders. As in the past, some maritime regions will be eligible also, as an exception, for this form of cooperation. The indicative list of priorities and measures eligible under strand A indicates clearly that the majority could be applied in border regions separated by a sea or a maritime route only with considerable difficulty. By contrast, all maritime regions will be eligible under the other two strands. In the case of transnational cooperation, each maritime region will be able to take part in one or two programmes covering a cooperation region such as the North Sea or the Atlantic Area. The list of priorities and measures planned for this strand is exhaustive but includes major possibilities for developing and strengthening cooperation between maritime regions, such as promoting intermodality of more environmentally compatible means of transport, in particular maritime transport, inland waterway transport and rail transport. In order to meet the requests from the regions concerned, the Commission is planning to introduce greater flexibility in the measures eligible for cooperation between maritime regions into the final guidelines. The Interreg programme will thus cover the various types of cooperation, and in particular offer those regions the possibility of a specific priority within the future Interreg III B programmes. (1) COM(1999) 479 final. (2000/C 330 E/061) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2820/99 by Helle Thorning-Schmidt (PSE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: Asbestos ban What action has the Commission taken and what action does it intend to take to introduce a ban on the use of asbestos in the EU?