WRITTEN QUESTION E-2394/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Council. The Tenda pass tunnel.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/39 6. Will the Council conduct an inquiry into the use of German warheads for an assault using chemical weapons in Turkey, given that the equipment was supplied by an EU Member State and that this involves an act by a candidate Member State in violation of the UN convention on chemical weapons? If not, why not? Reply (13 March 2000) All EU Member States are States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their destruction (CWC). Among the general obligations contained in Article I of that convention is the undertaking by each State Party ánever under any circumstances to develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to anyoneí nor áto assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Conventioní. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) ensures the implementation of the provisions of the Convention, including those for international verification of compliance with it. All States Parties to the CWC are members of the OPCW. The sources referred to by the Honourable Member have not been brought to the attention of the Council. (2000/C 280 E/037) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2394/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Council (13 December 1999) Subject: The Tenda pass tunnel ü The Tenda pass tunnel is the only Alpine pass linking south Piedmont and France, ü over the last ten years the tunnel has been blocked on several occasions by landslides or landslide risk, caused mainly by subsidence of the roof, which is now worn and under tension, ü this has resulted in very long delays and hold-ups for traffic, ü the structure dates back to 1876 and it would be difficult to convert back to a normal, usable state, ü it is situated at a considerable height, posing an extremely high risk for road traffic and for evacuation in the event of accidents, ü passing through the tunnel obliges motorists to use routes which are difficult, particularly for heavy vehicles, and which climb to a great height, ü the numerous suggestions for faster links ü in the region ü between France and Italy have been delayed or put on hold, at times for several months, without any appreciable progress. In the light of the above, will the Council state its opinion and intentions with regard to the future of the Tenda tunnel and/or a road connection there (new tunnel, at what height, rebuilding of the existing tunnel) and, in more general terms, with regard to road connections on the route between France and Italy in south Piedmont? C 280 E/40 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 Reply (13 March 2000) The Council has been discussing the problems posed by transport in the Alps in the light of the recent accidents in the Tauern and Mont Blanc tunnels. It has recommended operational preventive measures which could be planned at European level and offer greater safety to citizens travelling in Europe and has invited the Commission to submit proposals enabling it to draw up recommendations for improving tunnel safety and further developing uniform high safety standards applicable throughout Europe. Regarding the specific question put by the Honourable Member, it is, however, not for the Council to comment on a situation which is the responsibility of national authorities. The Council is still awaiting Commission proposals. (2000/C 280 E/038) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2397/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Road infrastructure in Carrara In Carrara, in the region of Tuscany, Italy, marble-working is the largest economic sector, employing over 10 000 people. Recently, the use of lorries with trailers for transporting the marble has been declared to have reached critical levels because of the significant reduction in quality of life it is causing within the city. The problem could be solved by constructing a road to the east of the city, about five kilometres in length, for an investment of ITL 75 billion. This would halve transportation times for marble, reduce city traffic and create an inter-regional route which would connect to the Tyrrhenian Sea ü Brenner Pass European route. The isolation of roads in the region could be overcome once and for all by building just 15 km of expressway connecting eastern Lunigiana to the Apuan coast. Could the Commission therefore say whether there are any specific financial aid measures for carrying out infrastructure work of this kind? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (21 January 2000) The Structural Funds may finance infrastructure projects such as that mentioned by the Honourable Member, provided they are located in an eligible area. The Commission is still awaiting the revised proposal by the Italian authorities under the regulatory provisions governing Objective 2 during the next programming period (2000-2006 (1)). (1) OJ L 161, 26. 6. 1999