Parliamentary question - O-000026/2015Parliamentary question
O-000026/2015

Use of EU funds to develop airports

17.3.2015

Question for oral answer O-000026/2015
to the Commission
Rule 128
Marie-Christine Arnautu, Marco Zanni, Marco Affronte, Laura Agea, Rosa D'Amato, Tiziana Beghin, Ignazio Corrao, Marco Valli, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Isabella Adinolfi, Piernicola Pedicini, Hans Jansen, Dario Tamburrano, Laura Ferrara, Eleonora Evi, Marco Zullo, Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Joëlle Mélin, Mireille D'Ornano, Sylvie Goddyn, Jean-François Jalkh, Philippe Loiseau, Florian Philippot, Nicolas Bay, Gilles Lebreton, Sophie Montel, Dominique Bilde, Steeve Briois, Marie-Christine Boutonnet, Georg Mayer, Mylène Troszczynski, Bernard Monot, Aymeric Chauprade, Edouard Ferrand, Louis Aliot, Gianluca Buonanno, Matteo Salvini, Angel Dzhambazki, Vicky Maeijer, Peter Lundgren, Bruno Gollnisch, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Mario Borghezio, Dominique Martin, Franz Obermayr, Gerolf Annemans, Harald Vilimsky, Lorenzo Fontana, Olaf Stuger, David Borrelli, Barbara Kappel, Mara Bizzotto, Daniela Aiuto, Marcel de Graaff, Giulia Moi

The findings of an audit conducted by the European Court of Auditors show that tens of millions of euros have been invested in airports to no effect. Between 2000 and 2013, EUR 666 million was spent on developing 20 airports in Spain, Estonia, Greece, Italy and Poland. Only 10 of those airports actually needed to expand, however; the 10 others did not experience the increase in passenger numbers forecast for the period from 2007 to 2013. According to the ECA, out of the total of EUR 666 million some EUR 225 million was spent on over-sized facilities which did not improve the service offered to passengers or create new jobs. To give just one example, Cordoba Airport was expanded to cater for 179 000 passengers a year, but in 2013 it was used by only 7000.

1. Why did the Commission not draw up plans and forecasts in an effort to assess the usefulness of its investments?

2. How does the Commission intend to ensure that EU funds are used effectively during the 2014-2020 programming period and thus prevent money from being wasted in this way?