WRITTEN QUESTION P-2793/96 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (14 October 1996)

Subject: EU funding for the wildlife habitat at the Aposselemis Estuary in Greece

The Envireg Community Initiative in Greece (1990-1993) funded a study into the Aposselemis Estuary region in order to evaluate its ecological value as a precondition to any economic investment in this area. This study never took place and the funds were transferred to other projects.

Why was there an absence of substantial action by the Greek authorities leading to the protection of the wetlands when EU money had already been appropriated?

Why did the ecological project fail to take place?

Does the abandonment of the study and the transfer of the EU appropriations to other projects, leaving only limited funds which were then used to clear domestic refuse from this area, not represent a misappropriation of EU finances?

In addition it seems that even though no study was carried out, the Greek Government nevertheless allowed the construction of a football pitch on this site,

What action will the Commission take to avoid such a failure again?

Can the Commission also investigate how the funds earmarked for this project were actually spent? Having done so could it state whether these alternative projects fulfilled the criteria for the Envireg Initiative?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Matthies on behalf of the Commission (6 November 1996)

The Member States' authorities are free to decide on priorities, timetabling and the degree of protection afforded to biotopes not covered by Community or international law.

The project to protect Crete's Aposselemis estuary was not carried out in full, primarily because delays in its implementation led the monitoring committee to modify its content and funding.

In an operational programme or Community initiative, the timely scaling-down or cancellation of a project or measure and the transfer of the funds available to activities needing more funding or offering better results testifies to good management rather than a misuse of Community resources.

In the case in point, the funds saved by scaling down this scheme have been used to strengthen other 'biotope' schemes under the Community's ENVIREG initiative in Greece. The Commission believes that the measure in question has achieved most of its objectives; the projects carried out include some significant successes.

For ENVIREG-Greece, decisions of this type were taken by the monitoring committee set up for the initiative: the decision to modify the scheme in question was taken at its fourth meeting, which was held in Athens on 8 November 1993.

The Honourable Member refers to the subsequent construction of a football ground in this region: since only Greek funds were involved, the Commission feels that the matter is one for the national authorities.

In order to improve the management of current schemes, the Greek authorities have, in partnership with the Commission, adopted additional measures for the 1994-99 Community support framework aimed at monitoring projects more effectively.

The eligibility of spending on the projects covered by this measure has been supervised by Greece's Ministry for Economic Affairs, its Ministry for the Environment and the monitoring committee. The implementation of most 'biotope' projects has been largely supervised by the Goulandris Natural History Museum, a foundation recognized throughout Europe for its technical competence.