(2004/C58E/122) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1892/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:FailuretoprotecttheAlbuferadeValenciapark
TheauthorofthisquestionhasrepeatedlycondemnedthefailuretoprotecttheAlbuferadeValenciapark,
which is a special protection area for birds (SPAB). Last monthsaw the expiry ofthe precautionarymeasures which the Valencia Regional Government laid down in April 2000 on a temporary basis,pendingfinalapprovalofthepark’smanagementplan.However,approvalofthatplanisnoweightyearsoverdue.
TheValenciaRegionalGovernment’sEnvironmentMinistrybegandrawingupthemanagementplanin
April2000andtheperiodduringwhichitwasmadeavailableforpublicconsultationendedlastyear.However,theregionalgovernmenthasyettoreplytotheobjectionsraised,norhasitpublishedafinalversionofthemanagementplan.
Inviewofthefactthat,inajudgmentof11November1999,theSupremeCourtdeclaredtheAlbufera
NaturalParkSpecialProtectionPlan(theonlyspecificplanningandmanagementtoolapplicabletothe
park)tobenullandvoid,andgiventhethreatcurrentlyposedbythedamagebeingdonetothepark
(whichlosesacertainnumberofspecieseachyear,whilstevengreaternumbersbecomeendangered),istheCommissionplanningtomakerepresentationstotheSpanishauthoritieswithaviewtoensuringthattheAlbuferaSPABisfinallycoveredbyapropermanagementplanwhichwillprotectitsbiodiversity?
DoestheCommissionnotthinkthattheValenciaRegionalGovernmentshoulddrawupamanagement
planbeforepromotinganymoreurbandevelopmentswhichcouldseriouslyaffectthepark,suchasthePinedohousingestate,theParadorNacionalhotel,industrialgrowtharoundthepark’sprotectiveboundaryandtheinstallationofextensivedrainage(intheBarrancodelPoyo,forexample)?
CantheCommissionguaranteethattheaboveurbandevelopmentswillnotbepromotedwithoutthe
requisiteenvironmentalassessmentbeingcarriedoutineachcase?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(18July2003)
The Honourable Member has expressed her concern regarding the lack of management plan for the
‘ParqueNaturaldelaAlbuferadeValencia’.
TheAlbuferahasbeendesignatedasSpecialProtectedAreaundertheBirdsDirective(
1)andproposedas
SiteofCommunityImportanceundertheHabitatsDirective(2)fortheMediterranean Region.Thelast
Mediterranean bio-geographical seminar was held in Brussels in January 2003. At the present time,MemberStatesarestillanalysingtheresultsoftheseminarthereforetheCommissionhasnotadoptedyettheMediterraneanList.
AftertheCommissionlistadoption,MemberStateshaveaperiodofsixyearstodesignatetheproposed
sitesas‘SpecialAreasofConservation’
Article6§1oftheHabitatsDirectiveestablishesthat‘Forspecialareasofconservation,MemberStatesshall
establish the necessary conservation measures involving, if need be, appropriate management plansspecificallydesignedforthesitesorintegratedintootherdevelopmentplans,andappropriatestatutory,administrativeorcontractualmeasureswhichcorrespondtotheecologicalrequirementsofthenaturalhabitattypesinAnnexIandthespeciesinAnnexIIpresentonthesites’.
Therefore,MemberStatesmustestablishappropriatesconservationmeasuresinordertoensurethatthe
objectivesoftheHabitatsDirectivearefulfilled.Theseconservationmeasures,thatmustbeestablishedforthespecialareasofconservation,couldbemanagementplansornot.MemberStatesarethecompetentauthoritiestodefinewhichconservationtoolitisneededforeachNatura2000site.6.3.2004EN C58E/107 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Regarding the urbandevelopment,Article 6§3oftheHabitatsDirective establishesthat‘Anyplanor
project notdirectly connectedwith ornecessary tothe management ofthe site butlikelytohave asignificant effect thereon, either individually or in combinationwith other plans or projects, shall besubject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site’s conservationobjectives.Inthelightoftheconclusionsoftheassessmentoftheimplicationsforthesiteandsubjecttotheprovisionsofparagraph4,thecompetentnationalauthoritiesshallagreetotheplanorprojectonlyafter having ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned and, ifappropriate,afterhavingobtainedtheopinionofthegeneralpublic’.
Forthiscase,anyurbandevelopmentthatcouldhaveasignificantimpactontheNatura2000sitemustbe
submittedtoanenvironmentalimpactassessment.
(1) CouncilDirective79/409/EECof2April1979ontheconservationofwildbirds,OJL103,25.4.1979.
(2) CouncilDirective92/43/EECof21May1992ontheconservationofnaturalhabitatsandofwildfaunaandflora,
OJL206,22.7.1992.
(2004/C58E/123) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1893/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:UnauthoriseddischargeofhazardouswasteintheValenciaregion
TheValenciaregioncurrentlyhasnofacilitiesforhazardouswaste,eventhoughitproduces250000
tonnesthereofeachyear(1).AccordingtoastudycarriedoutbytheValenciaUGT’sEnvironmentand
OccupationalHealthDepartment,onlybetween3%and18%ofthatannualfigureisprocesedproperly(afindingwhichhasrecentlybeenconfirmedbytheValenciaRegionalGovernment).Mostoftherestisdisposedofonunauthoriseddumps.
Furthermore,itshouldbeborneinmindthatmostofthepaltryamountofhazardouswastewhichis
actuallymanagedisexportedtootherSpanishregions(Catalonia,theBasqueCountry,AndalusiaandMurcia),preciselybecauseValenciaitselflackssuitableprocessingfacilities.
Inviewofthefactthat,underCommunitylawonwaste:
/dash there is a ban on the unauthorised dumping of waste which, according to the ERC, is deemed
hazardous;
/dash particularemphasisisplacedontheneedtolocatewaste-managementcentresatareasonabledistance
away from production centres and at the same time to observe the minimum safety distancesestablishedforthebenefitofthelocalpopulation;
/dash thedangerspossiblyassociatedwiththecarriageofhazardoussubstancesoverlargedistancesare
regulated,
istheCommissionpreparedtorequest,forthepurposesofitsresearch,thedatacontainedintheabove-
mentionedUGTreport?
Does the Commission consider that the Valencia Regional Government’s current management of
hazardouswastemeetstheneedsofacommunitywhichgenerates250000tonnesofsuchwasteperyear?DoesitnotthinkthatitshouldmakerepresentationstotheSpanishauthoritieswithaviewtohaving aspecialist facilitypermanently installedin asuitable locationwithin the region, without anyrepetitionoftheseriousshortcomingsdetectedinthecaseofRealdeMontroi?
(1) Theonlyfacilitywhichhashithertobeenavailable(theoneatRealdeMontroi)hasrecentlybeenclosedinresponse
to justified protests from local people at the failure to observe minimum safety distances, infringement of
environmentallawandotheroperationalirregularities.C58E/108 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion