31. 12. 87 ~ Official Journal of the European Communities No L 380/33 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 4070/87 of 22 December 1987 on the grant of support to transport infrastructure projects THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (?), Whereas at its meeting of 11 November 1986, the Council reached conclusions concerning the objectives, criteria and financial mechanisms of a medium-term programme to improve transport infrastructure ; Whereas -a number of eligible projects have been submitted by Member States to use the whole of the appropriations remaining for this purpose in the 1986 and 1987 budgets; Whereas the ceilings for Community financial support for each project of this Regulation should be fixed by the Commission ; Whereas the methods and procedures for implementing this Regulation should be defined, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 Within the limit of the budget appropriations remaining from the 1986 budget and those available under the 1987 budget, and under the conditions set out in Articles 2, 3 and 4, the Community shall provide financial support for transport infrastructure projects by contributing to the cost of the following projects : 1. Studies preparatory to construction work — Scandinavian Link — to assist the development of a number of fixed links, — Transcity — preparatory work on a project to provide new rail services between the Saar, Luxem- bourg and France, (*) Opinion delivered on 18 December 1987 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () Opinion delivered on 16 December 1987 (not yet published in the Official Journal). — Demonstration project to improve the utilization and safety of motorways, — High-speed rail links — impact analysis, — Study of a European combined transport network. 2. Projects on major transit routes including those to assist transit through non-member States: — Road links to the Channel tunnel, — New railway tunnel on the Brenner rail route, — Strengthening of . the rail link Netherlands/ Germany, — United Kingdom/Ireland road link, — Works on combined transport routes Germany/ Spain, — Combined transport centre in Verona (traffic through Austria), — Works on the rail link from Thessaloniki to the Yugoslav frontier. 3. Links to the Iberian Peninsula : — Modernization of the rail line Lisbon-Oporto-Spain (Beira Alta), — Motorway construction Madrid-Burgos-France, — Construction of a rail line Lisbon-Madrid- Barcelona (Coslada-Ricla). 4. Integration of peripheral regions: — North-South road in Greece, — North-South road in Ireland. Article 2 1. The financial support granted under this Regulation to the projects chosen in accordance therewith may not exceed 25 % of the total cost of each project or of the particular stage of the projects to be supported. The support may be increased to not more than 50 % in the case of studies carried out preparatory to construction work. 2.  In no case shall the contributions from the Commu- nity budget sources exceed 50 % of the total cost of the project or that part of the project that is assisted. 3. An advance payment of no more than 40 % of the Community contribution may be provided to accelerate the execution of projects. 4. The amount of Community financial contributions to the projects referred to in Article 1 shall be decided on by the Commission in agreement with the Member States involved.