# CE2004084EN.01086101.xml

| 3.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 84/861 |
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3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 84/861

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(2004/C 84 E/0952)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0732/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject:   Dam-building on the international stretch of the river Minho

Subject:

The Portuguese Water Institute has been asked to consider a proposal for three hydroelectric dams to be built on the international stretch of the river Minho by Unión Fenosa (a Spanish conglomerate operating in the electricity sector).

These proposals have arisen in the wake of an earlier case, in 1998, in which the idea of building the Sela dam on the same river was abandoned because it would not have been feasible, on account of the highly damaging environmental impact.

The present proposals could likewise have serious adverse environmental effects, as environmentalists, local councillors, fishermen, and wine-growers fear.

The Commission:

| 1. | Does it know about Unión Fenosa's plan to build three hydroelectric dams on the river Minho, which forms a natural border between Portugal and Spain? |
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1.

Does it know about Unión Fenosa's plan to build three hydroelectric dams on the river Minho, which forms a natural border between Portugal and Spain?

| 2. | How does it view the environmental impact of the proposals and what measures will it take to deal with the concern of the Portuguese public, organisations, and institutions in the region? |
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2.

How does it view the environmental impact of the proposals and what measures will it take to deal with the concern of the Portuguese public, organisations, and institutions in the region?

| 3. | Will any Community funding be granted for the project? |
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3.

Will any Community funding be granted for the project?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 April 2004)

(28 April 2004)

The Commission is not aware of the proposals to build dams on the river Minho by the Unión Fenosa.

Under Community law, proposals to construct dams require an environmental impact assessment (EIA) if they are likely to have significant effects on the environment. If the storage capacity of a dam will exceed 10 million cubic metres, an EIA is mandatory (under Annex I of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (1) as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2)); in other cases (which come under Annex II of the same Directive), the competent authority in the Member State must screen the proposal in order to determine whether significant effects are likely. The EIA involves the provision of information on the proposed project and its likely effects, as weil as consultation with environmental authorities and the public and, if there are likely to be transboundary effects, with any Member State whose territory is likely to be affected. The information and the results of the consultations must be taken into account by the competent authority in the decision-making procedure.

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2

The project to which the Honourable Member refers has not received any co-financing under the Structural Funds where Portugal is concerned.

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(1)  OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

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(2)  OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

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