WRITTEN QUESTION E-1477/98

by Lis Jensen (I-EDN) to the Commission

(13 May 1998)

Subject: Sofia International Airport Upgrade and Extension Project

The Sofia International Airport Upgrade and Extension Project is funded by the EIB for an amount of ECU 60 million. That amount is earmarked for the extension of the runway and the construction of a passenger terminal. The contract is already signed. However, no definitive project has been drawn up and no EIA has been carried out.

Only a general Master Plan for the Reconstruction of the Sofia Airport exists, drawn up by a British company, Halcrow and Partners. There is no specific project.

In the Master Plan several variants are proposed for the extension of the runway. Construction is bound to begin without proper assessment of the variants and the project. An EIA on the specific project should be carried out, not only an EIA on the general plan. At the public meeting devoted to the EIA on the general plan, arguments were raised against the current plan and alternative sites for the airport were proposed. None of these were taken into account.

The airport is situated unacceptably close to the city of Sofia. The noise and emission levels are higher than the relevant standards. There have been numerous protests and petitions against the further expansion of the airport by local people.

Why is the EIB continuing to finance a project which has not been actually specified, designed and on which no EIA has been carried out?

How do the project and its preparation comply with the relevant European Community legislation which the Bank claims to follow in Central and Eastern European countries?

What account does the EIB take of the complaints and suggestions of the people affected?

What documents support the view that the EIB took account of the environmental viability of the project in accordance with Community standards? Please attach the relevant project documents to the answer.

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(17 June 1998)

Information received from the European investment bank (EIB) indicates that the EIB signed a loan of 60 MECU for the modernisation of Sofia airport including the construction of a passenger terminal and the extension of the runway.

The EIB entered this project at a relatively early planning stage. A master plan for the development of the airport had been developed by the Bulgarian authorities and had been submitted to a full environmental impact assessment. The EIB noted with satisfaction that a full EIA, including a public hearing, had already been carried out at such an early stage of project development. The EIA covers the project's environmental consequences in respect of air, surface and underground water, soil, geological conditions, flora and fauna, landscape, waste, and especially aircraft noise. The EIA concluded that a 540 metre runway extension to the East would bring down the noise level to an acceptable level. The runway extension was therefore included in the master plan revision.

As a condition to the loan, the EIB requested that the available master plan be upgraded by qualified international consultants in order to reach the international standards for airport development set by the International civil aviation organisation (ICAO). These include notably compliance of the project with the relevant international environmental guidelines. All findings of the EIA are being examined by highly-qualified international specialists in the light of ICAO standards and will be taken into account during successive planning stages.

The Bank will ensure that these recommendations will be implemented and that they will be in line with relevant Community environmental standards.