§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to paragraph 13 of his departmental explanatory memorandum to the proposal COM (94) 106 of the Commission of the European Economic Community for a system for trans-European transport networks under which article of the treaties, under which voting rules, and in which Council of Ministers decision will be made as to the level of financial support for particular parts of the designated networks.
§ Dr. Mawhinney[holding answer 21 July 1994]: Financial support for projects on the trans-European transport network may be provided under a number of existing Community instruments, including the structural and cohesion funds, where appropriate, and via the European Investment bank and European investment fund, as well as from national Government and private sector sources. Specific provision for the funding of projects of common interest on the network was made in article 129c of the treaty on European union. Under this provision the Commission has put forward a draft financing regulation covering projects in the telecommunications and energy sectors as well as transport. This is now under consideration in the Council. As currently proposed, voting in the Committee of Member States to be established by the regulation, and where necessary in the Council, would be by qualified majority.