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Doc. 10023
19 December 2003
Realising Strasbourg's potential as a European capital
Report
Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
Rapporteur: Mr Bernard Schreiner, France, European Democratic Group
Summary
The city of Strasbourg – home to the Council of Europe (totalling 45 member states) and its Court of Human Rights, as well as accommodating the European Parliament – is called upon to perform a major role as one of the political capitals of Europe. To this effect, the report contends that France, as host country of these institutions, should display more determination than it has done hitherto in its efforts to help Strasbourg assume its European mission to the full.
The report welcomes the French government’s recent creation of a special steering committee entitled “Strasbourg, European capital” and recommends action primarily in two areas: (i) improving air travel connections and establishing high-speed rail links; (ii) founding a genuine international school that provides a full syllabus in English from elementary up to university entrance standard. Thanks to such developments, the city can attract and retain top-level governmental experts, European diplomats and executives and staff of enterprises from all over Europe and beyond who can bring renewed vitality to the city and its surrounding region. Strasbourg already offers a very rich cultural life which deserves additional financial support in order to reinforce co-operation with other Alsatian cities and the adjacent regions.
The report proposes that the Assembly closely follow the expected measures whereby Strasbourg may fulfill its European mission which, due to the enlargement of the Council of Europe, now extends to the whole continent.
I. Draft Resolution
1. For over half a century, the city of Strasbourg has served as a political capital of Europe in the most profound meaning of the term, in its capacity as home to the pan-European Council of Europe with its Court of Human Rights, and to the European Parliament. The city has in this way made a substantial contribution to the flourishing of a democratic, humanistic, socially just and law-based Europe and it continues to be vital to the continent’s future.
2. For Strasbourg to be able to pursue this function, however, the city urgently needs to benefit from a new, more forward-looking and dynamic approach to its development on the part of France in its capacity as host country to these European institutions and to other interested parties, in the form of vastly improved air and fast-train links with major European cities. This would permit better access to the European institutions for ministers, parliamentarians and experts and improved educational and cultural facilities to attract those called upon to participate in the construction of a united Europe. The Assembly is aware of the major investments required by France to achieve this but would also draw attention to the substantial economic and other benefits derived by France from the presence of European institutions on its territory and to the gains to be made by the region in its efforts to attract international investment and employment.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes certain developments, such as the appointment by the French Government of a special “Strasbourg Capitale Européenne” Steering Committee; the creation of a “Euro-district” consisting of Strasbourg and its German neighbouring town Kehl across the Rhine as well as nearby municipalities; and the solemn commitment entered into at the French-German Summit of September 2003 to completing a fast train “TGV – Est” link between, in a first stage, Paris and Metz by 2007 and all the way to Strasbourg as soon as possible thereafter - including a new rail bridge across the Rhine connecting the TGV system with its German ICE counterpart connecting Strasbourg with Frankfurt.
4. Fast train links are also needed from Paris via Strasbourg with Stuttgart, Munich, Budapest and Vienna through the so-called “Magistrale” project and south via a Rhine-Rhone TGV link. The Assembly calls for all these connections to be considered as priority projects in the new infrastructure investment plan currently under consideration within the European Union.
5. Of even greater importance are improved air links, if necessary with French public support, with other European cities. The Assembly in this context regrets the cessation of the Ryanair connection between London and Strasbourg and refers to Assembly Resolution 1341 (2003) on “European air transport policies: crucial choices at a critical time” in which it states that “the arrival of these new [low-cost] carriers presents advantages for travellers who now have access to air transport at a modest price” while cautioning that “this should not, however, be detrimental to either social regulations or security”.
6. For Strasbourg to develop, educational facilities catering for the children of diplomats, civil servants, company heads and executives, who, increasingly, are English-speaking, must also be established. The Assembly considers that the organisation of special sections within a state secondary school is not sufficient to meet needs. It sees the recent establishment, as a result of a private initiative, of an international school offering a complete curriculum in English to younger children as a welcome first step in the right direction. It would point out, however, that at this stage the school provides only a primary education. It regrets that the French Government has not provided financial support for this initiative in order to make it possible for the various levels of education to be included and for the school to have the European status that seems essential. If the European institutions are to be able to attract high-quality diplomats and civil servants, more needs to be done to provide educational facilities in Strasbourg for their children at the various levels, up to university. The French Government's recent decision confirming that the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) will be based in Strasbourg and adding a European dimension to the education it provides is certainly proof of a growing awareness of Europe's importance in Strasbourg. France, as the host country, should make a greater effort to become involved by supporting the regional and local authorities' efforts to meet this challenge.
7. The Assembly appreciates the quality of life in Strasbourg and the surrounding region, which also hosts high-quality cultural events. In order to enhance the influence of this European capital, however, it is necessary to broaden the range of cultural events on offer. This could be done by strengthening co-operation with neighbouring towns in the region, in Germany and in Switzerland, but here again firmer support from the French Government would probably be needed.
8. The Assembly :
i. calls on the French Government promptly to take the policy decisions required to remedy the situation and enable Strasbourg to fulfil its European vocation to the full on a lasting basis;
ii. requests the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to monitor the implementation of this Resolution and to report to the Assembly on progress achieved;
iii. resolves to raise this matter at a forthcoming meeting of the Joint Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
II. Explanatory Memorandum by Mr Schreiner, Rapporteur
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and background
2. The city’s need for better transport links
2.1 Fast rail links
2.2 Air connections
3. The need for better international education facilities. A new International School in the making. The new European approach of the ENA
4. Culture and tourism
5. Conclusions
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1. Introduction and background
1. “The city of Strasbourg - home to the pan-European Council of Europe and the European Parliament - urgently needs better air and fast-train rail links with major European cities, if it is to realise its full potential as a European capital. What is at stake is both better access to the European institutions for ministers, parliamentarians and experts, and improved educational and cultural facilities to attract those called upon to participate in the construction of a united Europe.”
2. These words come from a Motion for a resolution introduced in July 2003 by Mr Mignon, member of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the 45-member state Council of Europe based in Strasbourg and co-signed by several of his colleagues from all over Europe. The Motion went on to welcome the pledge made by the French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, in September 2002 to support Strasbourg in its vocation as a European capital, not least through the establishment of a "Comité de pilotage Strasbourg ville européenne" under the chairmanship of Mrs Noëlle Lenoir, French Minister for European Affairs.
3. It is, among other things, the geographically privileged position of Strasbourg which accounts for the richness of the city’s history and makes its position at the centre of Europe so assured. For three millennia Strasbourg has been a pivotal communication point, a historical crossroads for north-south and east-west trade and a prime point on the route from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, as well as on to the Ruhr area and into central Europe.
4. Strasbourg enjoys a unique location on the French-German border, making it an ideal city to host the new European institutions and to serve as a symbol for a new European era of peace and integration. Strasbourg’s role as a political capital should continue to be emphasized even in this age of electronic communication, as the city provides the ideal meeting point for face-to-face communication which telecommunications will never be able to fully equal.
5. The importance of the city is also felt in the cultural and social fields, providing a key meeting point for the diverse cultures of Europe. The city is a major centre for democracy and human rights, given the important work of the Council of Europe and its Court of Human Rights.
6. Strasbourg’s economic heritage and contribution should also be recognized. The city is at the centre of the newly created ‘Strasbourg-Kehl Euro-district’, with a population of over one million people. It is perfectly placed along the European spine from London to Milan, a major axis with regard to overall development, and where some of the most important industrial, technological and scientific resources in Europe are located. The Alsace region maintains a proud heritage in the industrial heartland of Europe, hosting over 1200 companies from 18 different countries providing over 100,000 jobs, or 40% of all industrial employment in the region.
7. The region’s economy is based on traditional sectors, such as the agri-food industry (Kronenbourg and other breweries), as well as newer industries, (such as Aventis, resulting from the fusion between Rhône-Pooulenc and Hoechst, Rhodia, car manufacturing with Peugeot, General Motors, the Smart plant in Hambach in nearby Lorraine, etc). Other major firms include De Dietrich, INA-Roulements, Electricité de Strasbourg, Soprema and Kuhn. Many businesses take advantage of Strasbourg’s location (such as logistics and service companies like Ikea, Bertelsmann and others). The businesses located here illustrate and add to Strasbourg’s resolutely European dimension and very much deserve the improved transport links called for in the present report.
8. The Council of Europe itself provides an important economic underpinning to Strasbourg, with its 1800 civil servants being fully integrated into the city’s development. The presence of the European Parliament in the region via its monthly plenary sessions accentuates the city’s European vocation. The city has also manifested its positive attitude in various ways. Thus, since 1980 there have been successive three-year ‘Strasbourg, ville européenne’ contracts associating the French government with the local authorities in Alsace for the purpose of facilitating investments contributing to Strasbourg’s stature as a European city. In addition, several sites have been made available free of charge for the construction of various Council of Europe buildings. This was the arrangement for the grounds of the new Human Rights Building and will also be the case for the forthcoming European Pharmacopoeia building, located in the same area. It should be noted in this context that there is no reference to Strasbourg in the new draft EU Constitution currently under negotiation. For example, although reference is made as to when the European Parliament should meet, there is no reference as to where, as was the case with certain earlier EU treaties and agreements.
9. The role of Strasbourg is not only a French concern. It is also about defending a certain idea of Europe, one which is not bound up with a national capital but rather with the pan-European ideal underlying the creation of the Council of Europe shortly after the end of the Second World War - with its Parliamentary Assembly, its Committee of Ministers and its European Court of Human Rights – and with the presence of the European Union’s European Parliament – the voice of the peoples of all of Europe – in that city since the end of the 1950s. The Council of Europe encourages improvements in the following areas in order to support the committee’s aims and assist Strasbourg in reaching its full potential.
2. The city’s need for better transport links
2.1 Fast rail links
10. More needs to be done to increase the accessibility of Strasbourg, allowing the city to live up to its potential as a European capital. The TGV-Est project is a key aspect of this process and essential to the city’s development. France has been in the vanguard of high-speed passenger rail services since the 1950s, offering trains with the ability to cover long distances at speeds of up to 300km/h (186mph). Since the first high speed line was built between the Paris hub and Lyon in 1981, the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) has played a key role in improving Europe’s transport infrastructure, pushing into Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy. In 1999 the go-ahead was given for the first phase of the ‘TGV-Est Europeen’, signifying a 320 km line linking Paris and eastern France by 2007.
11. It should be recalled that the Parliamentary Assembly as early as 1971 pressed for the construction of a modern European rail network in proposing that “a first line operating on air cushion [be built] linking the towns between Brussels and Geneva (Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Basel) where the European institutions have their headquarters” a project which it considered “an expression of political determination to recognise the polycentric structure of the Europe of tomorrow and preserve it from any dangerous tendency towards centralisation and concentration”.1 In a later debate on the same issue, in 1978, the same - as it happens French - Rapporteur in the person of Mr Radius called his project “Europolis”. Sadly, however, the dream of Mr Radius – and that of Mr Dejardin in 1987 in the Assembly’s Resolution 876 (1987) on a European high-speed network for that matter – remains to be accomplished.
12. It is therefore all the more welcome that a solemn commitment to a Paris – Strasbourg fast train link was given at the September 2003 French-German Summit between President Chirac and Chancellor Schröder, as were promises side to complete, by 2007, the ‘Saar link’ north from eastern France to Frankfurt and a two-track railway bridge across the Rhine between Strasbourg and the neighbouring German city of Kehl permitting much higher speeds than at present.2
13. By 2007, then, TGVs are to run at full speed to Metz, and continue to Strasbourg at reduced speed, reducing travel time from the capital from over 4 hours at present to only 2 hours and 20 minutes. At a later Phase 2 stage, the Metz-Strasbourg TGV prolongation will also come into operation, reducing the time of travel from Paris to Strasbourg to only one hour and fifty minutes. This would allow the French national railway company, the SNCF, and its German counterpart the Deutsche Bahn to realise their long-term ambition to connect their TGV and ICE high speed rail networks and allow much reduced travelling time from Paris, London and other agglomerations to major cities like Stuttgart and Frankfurt, the latter being particularly key due to its role as a major European airport hub. Indeed, Strasbourg can be seen as a test case for a broader European transport policy as high speed rail links would allow traffic to be diverted from congested air space and from roads, with positive consequences for the environment.
14. Questions still unfortunately surround the second stage. There are fears of delays in the completion of the project, perhaps until 2017, and even of its cancellation. The issue is partly one of cost, but also, apparently, whether the Strasbourg-Frankfurt route is the most appropriate for upgrading. It has been suggested that the first stage TGV-Est project finishing at Metz could be linked further North to Germany’s premier high speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt, to the at least temporary exclusion of the fast train links from Strasbourg.
15. Alternatively, it is suggested, the route currently taken by the Orient Express further south through France and Germany and on to Vienna and Budapest could also be used. The idea is that using these already higher quality and speed lines could be a more efficient way to upgrade the pan-European rail network. The link between Strasbourg and countries in central and eastern Europe will become even more essential with the accession of first ten new countries – many of them in that region - to the European Union and then more in the years to come. Improving links to Strasbourg is of importance also against this background.
15. There are concerns that the full TGV-Est line will be left with a large deficit, given that the current Paris-Strasbourg line only operates at around 50% capacity. However, as past TGV projects have shown, they tend to create their own demand, have always broken even within a few years, and have the environmental benefit of taking traffic off roads and the air. The economic viability of the line is not therefore the main question. The completion of the extension is more a question of political will and Council of Europe member states and parliaments should use their influence to ensure that the European capital of Strasbourg can enjoy the transport links it needs to realize its potential. In order to achieve such environmental benefits, more support should be given to the rail lobby, which has proven less successful at gaining political support in recent years than has rival air transport.
16. The long-sought "Magistrale" fast-train connection linking Paris with Budapest via Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Munich and Vienna, (key gateways to the east of the Continent), should also be considered. It must be ensured that the proposal for a series of infrastructure investment projects worth a total of € 70 billion - recently launched by the Italian government and the European Commission and at present under consideration by the leading organs of the European Union - should continue to include also the “Magistrale”.
17. An upgrade of the Strasbourg-Brussels rail and air connections is also under discussion. This would provide critical support for Strasbourg’s political role and allow members of the European Parliament to move more quickly between these two cities.
18. Also proposed as a mixed use line is a TGV Rhin-Rhone line (from Lisbon to Hamburg via Strasbourg), which would link the existing PES (Paris-East of France-South-East of Germany) line at Dijon with Besançon, Belfort and Mulhouse, allowing faster trains to this area and to Switzerland. A proposed southern branch to Strasbourg and Lyon could in addition link Germany with the Mediterranean.
19. The idea of Trans-European Networks (TEN) was launched in the 1980s by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport or the ECMT (for which the Assembly serves as a parliamentary forum) and supported and carried forward by the European Commission. It emerged in conjunction with the completion of the European Union’s Single Market and was seen as an important factor for economic growth and job creation. With many of the central and eastern European countries now preparing to join the EU, trans-European transport networks are becoming even more important.
20. The ECMT has been supportive of the European Union’s work in the field of promoting pan-European rail links. A high-level group is working to assist the European Commission in putting together a proposal, expected in late 2003, for a far-reaching revision of the guidelines for the trans-European transport network, including a short list of priority projects on the major corridors which will carry the heavy flows of traffic between the states in the enlarged Union. The Paris-Strasbourg TGV route is one of these highlighted projects. The Parliamentary Assembly in its Resolution 1321 (2003) on “Fifty years of the ECMT: transport policies for the greater Europe”3 stated that it “fully supports the ECMT’s efforts to shape an integrated transport system across the continent, to establish close transport policy coordination between the European Union and other European countries” and that it also “strongly supports the proposals by the European Commission for rapid progress towards an integrated European railway area ….”.
2.2 Air connections
21. Aside from land transport priorities, Strasbourg is still poorly served in terms of air links to major European cities, especially when compared to Brussels, as regularly happens in the on-going debate as to the viability of the split location for the European Parliament. The travel time from several major capitals is considerably longer to Strasbourg than to the Belgian capital and this situation will only become more acute as the new accession countries enter the European Union. Thus, Warsaw, Budapest, Ljubljana, and Bucharest - to name some capital cities which are served by direct flights to Brussels - require expensive, time consuming connections onto Strasbourg. Munich can be singled out for particular attention, given this city’s role as the major hub for the east and south-east of the Continent, the membership in the Council of Europe of virtually all the countries in these regions and the imminent accession to the European Union of many countries there. The cancelling of Lufthansa’s direct flight between Strasbourg and Munich greatly increases travel time and costs for these key participants in the Greater European project. Improving rail links to Frankfurt, another key European airport hub, would further improve connections for Eastern European states. Financial support by the French government to establish these vital links is needed.
22. Strasbourg’s air transport situation deteriorated even further in the fall of 2003, when all direct flights to London, one of Europe’s major international hubs, were temporarily cancelled. Ryanair, the British low-cost carrier, began a service to London - Stanstead in October 2002, promising to carry 200,000 passengers a year (scaling up to 350,000 in 5 years). This represented an increase of 10% in passenger numbers using Strasbourg International Airport -providing an important year-round boost to tourism in the city and surrounding region in addition to (according to Ryanair) the creation of about 200 jobs. Such increases were said to offset any losses from the cancellation of UK flights by Air France’s subsidiary Britair (which was carrying around 3,000 passengers a month vs. Ryanair’s 18,000).
23. Problems arose in the summer of 2003 when Britair lodged a suit, claiming that Ryanair was receiving unfair subsidies which distorted competition. To provide the low air fares to attract these new visitors, the airline was provided with a ‘marketing subsidy’ of 1.4 million euros by the Bas-Rhin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which manages the Strasbourg airport. The local court of Nancy in early autumn 2003 upheld a Strasbourg administrative court’s decision which had ruled this payment illegal. The problem arises from the fact that local airports in France are run by local chambers of commerce, which are statutory bodies and whose finances are therefore considered to be not only in the public interest but also in public possession, making their use as subsidies potentially illegal. Following the decision, Ryanair moved its London services to a small airport near Baden-Baden, while Britair reinstalled its flights from Strasbourg to London Gatwick.
24. The Parliamentary Assembly in its Resolution 1341 (2003) on “European air transport policies: crucial choices at a critical time”4 had this to say on the low-cost carrier phenomenon: “Stiff competition from new low-cost carriers, offering much reduced prices, has brought about an entirely new market situation. The arrival of these new carriers presents advantages for travellers who can henceforth have access to air transport at a modest price. This should not, however, be to the detriment of either social rules or security.”
25. The Ryanair case has wider implications for the Council of Europe other than affecting the access to Strasbourg and undermining its position as a European capital. If the Strasbourg battle sets a precedent, all the low-cost airline flights to France could be challenged (Ryanair serves 20 French airports), as most airports are in public hands. Spain could also be affected. Ryanair is also the subject of a European Commission investigation over flights into the Brussels Charleroi airport. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has made his views on the Strasbourg case clear, claiming that - “Jobs and tourism in the French regions cannot and will not survive if all visitors to France are forced to use the Air France hub at Charles de Gaulle.” The Rapporteur indeed feels that the virtual monopoly of Air France over the Paris – Strasbourg link should give way to more competition also with non-French airlines, as part of the process of liberalising Europe’s air industry.
3. The need for better international education facilities. A New International School for Strasbourg in the making. The new European approach of the ENA
26. Strasbourg City Council has made commendable efforts over the years to improve international education facilities in the city. This has led to the creation of sections specialising in several languages. However, for various reasons, this has had to fit into the rather rigid confines of the French education system. In order to fulfil Strasbourg’s potential as a European capital, more should be done in the educational field. Given the large multinational contingent within the community, the setting up of a genuinely international school should be given high priority. Higher education facilities also need to be developed and the national university library should be improved.
27. A new, private English speaking international school is currently under development in Strasbourg. The school will offer the traditional educational subjects in English with French as a second language, creating a reciprocal culture and language-enriching atmosphere for all students.
28. Inscriptions are open for the 2003/2004 school year, for grades 1-3, which are similar to the French levels CP through CE2. Once the school is operational, plans will begin to add additional classrooms and levels. The ultimate goal is to offer a full curriculum, from pre-primary through secondary education (through Lycée), including International Baccalaureate.
29. The development is being sponsored by the local authorities, including the City and the Urban Community of Strasbourg, the Alsace Region, the General Council of the Bas-Rhin and private industry.
30. The reason for, and the urgency of, the school is that the region of Alsace has become the temporary home to many families of international companies, European institutions, foreign embassies and consulates and worldwide universities. In addition, the region continues to grow with the settlement of persons from other countries seeking economic and political change. While the French educational system and the current international curricula provide a fine educational framework for some families, these curricula are not sufficient to properly service the international growth and continued recruitment of English-speaking personnel. Enquiries among many of the above referenced organisations have shown a demand for a more comprehensive English speaking curriculum, at an affordable price. This new international English-speaking school will enlarge the opportunity for international education in Alsace and provide a new tool for economic development in the region.
31. Strasbourg also has a well-established ecumenical centre. There is therefore a good basis on which to build a reputation for the city as a centre for comparative religious studies.
32. Finally, it should be noted that the French government has recently confirmed that the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the country’s elite school to form French top civil servants, will remain in Strasbourg rather than move back to Paris where it was located until recently. A European dimension has in addition been added to the school’s curriculum, illustrating what the Rapporteur understands to be an increased awareness of Europe, but also of Strasbourg’s importance as a European capital.
4. Culture and tourism
33. Strasbourg and its surrounding region has a very rich cultural life with events of high quality. The cultural supply, however, needs to be enlarged and the cultural links and exchanges with other cities in Alsace and neighbouring regions in Germany and Switzerland intensified, if the city is to be able to live up to its role as a European capital. This will necessitate stronger financial and other support from the French government.
34. Strasbourg is now improving its website, to have it depict not only the city but also the region of Alsace. There are further plans to attract more tourists to a future “Quartier européen”, in the area where the Council of Europe and its Court of Human Rights, and the European Parliament are located. Measures should also be taken to improve still further hotel accommodation capacity in order to respond appropriately to the increased demand. The Assembly in this context commends the city on its practice of providing free public transport to those visitors who work for European institutions during plenary parliamentary and other sessions. Finally, there are the well-known ‘Entretiens de Strasbourg’, where political and other personalities are invited for exchanges of views on European topics.
5. Conclusions
35. Strasbourg must be given the means to assert successfully its mission as a European capital. The City Council itself and the other authorities concerned have made considerable effort to accommodate more appropriately the European institutions, with the support of France which, as host country, has particular responsibilities in this respect. However, the current situation requires a more resolute approach if the city is to develop in a way commensurate with its historic destiny. Concerted effort by all interested parties is strongly recommended. It is to be hoped that the above-mentioned Steering Committee will play its role to the full not only in initiating and co-ordinating projects, but also as a means of political impetus and mustering the necessary resources.
Reporting committee: Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
Reference to committee: Doc. 9854 rev. and Ref. No. 2853 of 8.09.2003.
Draft resolution unanimously adopted by the Committee on 13 November 2003.
Members of the committee: Mrs Zapfl-Helbling (Chairperson), Mr Kirilov, Mrs Burbiene, Mrs Pericleous Papadopoulos (Vice-chairpersons), Mr Açikgöz, Mr Adam, Mr Agramunt, Mr I. Aliyev, Mr Anacoreta Correia, Mr Andov, Mr Arnau, Mr Assis Miranda, Mr Ates, Mr Attard Montalto, Mr van Baalen, Mr Berceanu, Mr Braun, Mr Brunhart, Mr Budin (Alternate: M. Rigoni), Mr Çavuşoğlu, Mr Cosarciuc, Mr Crema, Mr Dimic, Mr Djupedal, Mr Figel, Mr Floros, Mr Galchenko, Ms Griffiths, Mr Grignon, Mr Gusenbauer, Ms Hakl, Mr Haupert, Mr Högmark, Mr Jonas, Mr Kacin, Mr Karapetyan, Mr Klympush, Mr Korobeynikov, Mr Kraus, Mr Krivokapic, Mr Lachnit, Mr Le Guen (Alternate: Mr Hunault), Mr Leibrecht, Mr Liapis, Mr Makhachev, Mr Masseret, Mr Melcak, Mr Mikkelsen, Ms Milicevic, Mrs Muizniece, Mr Naumov, Mr Öhman, Mr O’Keeffe, Mr Opmann, Mrs Patarkalishvili, Mrs Petursdottir, Mrs Pintat Rossell, Mr Podgorski, Mr Popa, Mr Puche, Mr Ramoudt, Mr Ramponi, Mr Reimann, Mr Riccardi, Mr Rivolta, Lord Russell-Johnston, Mr Rybak, Mr Sasi, Mr Schreiner, Mr Severin, Mr Seyidov, Ms Smith, Mr Stefanov, Mr Tepshi, Mr Timmermans, Mr Torbar, Mrs Vadai, Mr Versnick, Mr Walter, Mr Wielowieyski, Mr Wikinski, Mr Zhevago.
N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics
Head of Secretariat: Mr Torbiörn
Co-Secretaries to the committee: M. Bertozzi, Ms Ramanauskaite; Ms Kopaçi-Di Michele, Ms Stewart
1 Resolution 471 (1971) on the organization of a European network of trunk communications as a part of European regional planning; see also Doc. 2903
2 This was in confirmation of an agreement made over a decade earlier, in La Rochelle in 1992 and which had lain dormant in the meantime. Construction is now under way along 300 kilometers, between Paris and Baudrecourt south of Metz.
3 Rapporteur: Mr Anacoreta Correia on behalf of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development; see also Doc. 9737
4 Rapporteur: Mr Masseret on behalf of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development); see also Doc. 9823.