WRITTEN QUESTION P-1898/96 by Marco Cellai (NI) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Environmental disaster in the Upper Versilia and Garfagnana area

The very violent storm which struck the Upper Versilia and Garfagnana area caused rivers to burst their banks, with the result that roads, railway lines, and bridges have been destroyed and entire villages have even been submerged by a torrent of water and mud.

Thirteen people died in the disaster, three others are missing, and thousands more have had to abandon their homes and manage as best they can in makeshift centres fitted out by the emergency services.

The catastrophe was bound to happen, given the extraordinarily heavy rain which preceded it.

The flood has devastated the environment and swept away buildings of historical and architectural interest.

The Italian authorities have so far failed to grant sufficient aid, even though the stricken populations are in urgent need of practical help.

In the light of the foregoing, does the Commission not believe that it should allocate Community funds immediately with a view to restoring and rebuilding the areas and villages affected?

Joint answer to Written Questions P-1833/96 and P-1898/96 given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1996)

The Commission wishes to express its full sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Italian people severely hit by the storm which devastated the province of Lucca on 19 June 1996.

With regard to the sources of Community financing which might be utilized in this case, the specific aim of the Community action 'emergency aid to disaster victims in the Community' is the provision of such aid for European citizens most seriously affected by such exceptionally large scale and serious events. However, the Commission regrets that there are no appropriations at the relevant budget heading (B4-3400) this year as only a token entry was made when Parliament adopted the 1996 budget. Recently the Commission proposed to the budgetary authority that ECU 1 million be transferred by way of exception. Parliament's Committee on Budgets preferred to reduce the amount to ECU 300 000.

With regard to possible Structural Fund assistance for Objective 5b regions, it should be noted that Community resources have been allocated definitively for the period 1994-99. The single programming document (SDP) for the objective 5b areas in the Tuscany region, which have been allocated ECU 133 million for the period 1994-99, can only receive additional resources resulting from the index-linking of Community resources, which at present amount to ECU 2.8 million. In order to repair the damage caused to 5b areas in the province of Lucca, the Commission is prepared in the partnership context, and notably in the SPD monitoring committee, to consider the proposals put forward by the Italian authorities to finance the renewal of the damaged agricultural and forestry resources, the protection of the environment and the improvement of the rural infrastructure by allocating all or part of the resources resulting from index-linking or by amending the SDP so as to transfer resources from the amount allocated to existing measures.

Where the damage occurred in objective 2 areas eligible for the Structural Funds (municipalities of Carrara, Massa and Montignoso), the Commission would be willing, in partnership with the Italian authorities, to consider providing assistance as part of the programmes in question, depending on the funds available.