EN Official Journal of the European Union C 183/20

Communication from the Walloon government concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons

2011/C 183/09

NOTICE FROM THE WALLOON GOVERNMENT REGARDING AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXCLUSIVE LICENCE TO PROSPECT FOR GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS, DESIGNATED THE ‘PERONNES AND ANDERLUES LICENCE’

As a result of the requests of 15 November 2008 and 24 December 2009, European Gas Benélux, a company with registered offices at Boulevard de France 7, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium, applied for an exclusive 25-year licence to prospect for and exploit oil and combustible gases in the Walloon region (Belgium).

This application involves the area allotted in the Charleroi region to Distrigaz for exploiting reservoir sites intended for the storage of gas. The area includes the two contiguous sites of Anderlues (Royal Decree of 22 July 1976) and Péronnes (Royal Decree of 11 May 1979), that is, concessions 410, 420 and 430 covering a total area of 39,50 km2. The application concerns the mines’ gas contained in the residual voids of former mines and the prospection of gas in the parts of the deposit that have not been exploited.

The perimeter of the area is defined below using the Lambert 72 system of coordinates.

Points X Y A' 140 185 125 649 B' 138 326 125 720 Z 137 500 125 968 P 134 795 125 984 O 134 012 125 759 O' 133 943 125 875 N' 132 292 124 843 N 132 385 124 743 Q 133 184 123 425 R 134 713 123 582 S 135 183 122 738 T 135 791 122 693 J 135 881 122 372 D 140 053 121 870 1(A) 140 457 121 676 2(B) 144 006 120 817 3 143 975 121 692 4 143 865 122 895 5 143 759 124 071 6 142 876 124 162 7 142 368 124 145 8 142 168 125 068 9(W) 140 215 125 074

The prospection and exploitation of gas are governed by Royal Decree No 83 of 28 November 1939 on the prospection and exploitation of bituminous rock, oil and combustible gases.

The Minister for the Environment, Regional Planning and Mobility invites persons interested in these activities to submit an application for a licence within 90 days of publication of this notice, in accordance with the instructions below.

The conditions for submitting applications are specified in Article 6 of the Walloon Government Decree of 19 March 2009 laying down the procedure and detailed rules for examining applications for exclusive licences to prospect for and produce oil and combustible gases, and amending the Walloon Government Decree of 4 July 2002 establishing the list of projects subject to an impact assessment and of classified installations and activities. All applications must include a prospecting or exploitation plan.

Submission of applications and criteria for awarding rights

Initial applicants and competing applicants must prove that they comply with the requirements for obtaining the licence, defined in Article 6(2) and (3) of the abovementioned Decree of 19 March 2009.

Applications must be sent by registered letter to the Minister for the Environment, Regional Planning and Mobility at the following address: rue des Brigades d'Irlande 4, 5100 Jambes, Belgium.

The Walloon government will make its decision on the basis of the following objective and non-discriminatory criteria:

(a) the applicant’s technical and financial capacity;

(b) the way in which the applicant proposes to prospect, to explore or to bring into production the geographical area in question;

(c) if several applications have equal merit as regards technical and financial capacity and the prospecting or exploitation plan, the following criteria will be applied: — the quality of the preliminary studies carried out for the purpose of drawing up the work plan, — the efficiency and competence demonstrated by the applicant in connection with any other authorisations, in particular as regards environmental protection, — the proximity of any other zone already prospected or exploited by the applicant, — the expected positive effects on the development of the Walloon region and the technological activities being carried out on its territory.

Standard specifications

Standard specifications containing the minimum conditions and requirements for the exercise and termination of the activities in question may be consulted on the site of the Directorate-General for Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment at the following address: http://environnement.wallonie.be

For additional information, please contact Mr Marc Pirlet, Tel. +32 81336030 — E-mail: marc.pirlet@spw.wallonie.be — Service public de Wallonie, Direction générale de l’agriculture, ressources naturelles et environnement, Avenue Prince de Liège 15, 5100 Jambes, Belgium.