WRITTEN QUESTION E-1337/96 by Magda Aelvoet (V) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Protection of the 'Vlaamse Banken' Ramsar region (Belgium)

The sandbanks off the west coast of Belgium known as the 'Vlaamse Banken' (latitude 51°01' - 51°15', longitude 2°30' - 2°50' - area 64 000 hectares) are extremely important in terms of fauna and were protected in 1971 by the Ramsar Convention. This region is also covered by Directives 79/409 of 2 April 1979 ((OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p.1. )) and 92/43 of 21 May 1992 ((OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p.7. )) and was designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) by Belgium. In its resolution of 6 May 1994 the European Council drew the Commission's attention to its strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the Vlaamse Banken were also studied in this context. However this area continues to be at risk from hunting (France), fishing, shipping and recreation and after 25 years of protection on paper no protective measures at all have been implemented. Whilst Belgium has in the past frequently been found lacking in terms of implementation of the Wild Birds Directive and has been called to account by the European Court, so far the Vlaamse Banken have never been concerned.

1. What information has the Commission requested in the past from Belgium concerning application of directives to the Vlaamse Banken and when were the requests made?

2. Did Belgium provide the Commission with adequate and useful information in this connection and if so, what information and on what dates?

3. Has Belgium already adopted the appropriate measures in relation to implementation of the directives and if so, what and when?

4. Has the Commission already found Belgium in infringement and if so, for what reason, when and what was the outcome?

5. What is the current situation as regards implementation of the measures in connection with the designation as an ESA and the ICZM?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (8 July 1996)

The Commission has maintained over the years with Belgium a continuous dialogue with respect to the implementation of Directive 79/409/EEC on wild birds and, more recently, of Directive 92/43/EEC on habitats. In this context, the Commission never raised the specific case of the 'Vlaamse Banken'.

As regards the implementation of Article 4 of Directive 79/409/EEC, Belgium classified a relatively high number of special protection areas namely 14% of the Member State's surface, and more than 80% of the internationally important ornithological areas.

With respect to Directive 92/43/EEC, part of the 'Vlaamse Banken'(17.000 hectares) has already been proposed for inclusion in Natura 2000, based on the interest of the site under the Directive. The proposed site includes the totality of the area classified under the Ramsar Convention.

As soon as a site proposed by a Member State is placed on the list of sites of Community importance (deadline June 1998) it will be subject to the protection regime of Article 6 (2), (3) and (4). Then Member States have to designate the site as a special area of conservation, as soon as possible and within six years at most (deadline is June 2004), and establish the necessary conservation measures, and appropriate statutory, administrative or contractual measures which correspond to the ecological requirements of the site.