WRITTEN QUESTION P-0001/03

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Aid to those affected by the oil slick caused by the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige

The sinking of the oil tanker Prestige last November and the resulting oil slick undoubtedly constitute the greatest environmental disaster in Spain's recent history and have adversely affected thousands of people. The European Council meeting in Copenhagen (cf. Conclusions 32, 33 and 34) expressed its regret and grave concerns with regard to the serious accident involving the oil tanker Prestige off the north west coast of Spain and considered that the ensuing damage to the marine and socio-economic environment and the threat to the livelihood of thousands of people were intolerable.

What tangible aid measures to assist the people and areas affected did the Commission adopt by 31 December 2002?

What are the dates of adoption and the sums involved? When were they requested by Spain?

Do any of the aid measures constitute an amount additional to the Community budget allocations which Spain would in any event have received in accordance with Community legislation even if the disaster had not happened?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2003)

The Commission joins the Honourable Member in expressing its solidarity with the thousands of people affected by the Prestige accident. The Union can offer support to the Spanish authorities in dealing with the consequences of the accident in a number of ways.

Firstly, under the rules in force, the Spanish government may use certain sums from the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund already allocated to Spain for 2000-2006 to combat the consequences of the disaster. The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that the Spanish authorities have already notified their wish to finance some cleaning up work from measure 3.5 (Coastal environmental measures) of the operational programme for Galicia 2000-2006, which has assistance from the ERDF of EUR 64 516 472.

Secondly, to help alleviate the consequences of the accident for the fisheries sector, the Commission proposed to the Council certain modifications to the existing legal framework for structural interventions in the fishing sector to support the fishing fleet and the aquaculture sector in that area in order to provide financial aid.

As a result of this proposal, the Council adopted on 20 December 2002 Regulation (EC) No 2372/2002 instituting specific measures to compensate the Spanish fisheries, shellfish industry and aquaculture affected by the oil spills from the Prestige(1).

A total Community allocation of EUR 30 million is foreseen for the following specific measures:

(a) compensation to persons and owners of enterprises for the temporary cessation of their activities;

(b) measures to encourage the replacement of fishing gear, of other auxiliary equipments and the repair of the affected boats and the replacement of damaged elements;

(c) measures to encourage the cleaning, the repairing and the reconstruction of shellfish and aquaculture sites;

(d) measures to compensate for the replacement of shellfish stocks.

Thirdly, the Commission is also looking at other sources of finance, such as the Union Solidarity Fund, which was, however, set up primarily to assist in the event of natural disasters, not only environmental ones, and for which the legislator laid down restrictive eligibility criteria. The Commission is currently considering the application made by the Spanish authorities on 14 January 2003 in terms of the criteria laid down by Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund. Possible aid from the Solidarity Fund could contribute mainly to the cleaning of beaches. These financial resources would be over and above other assistance previously decided on.

(1) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002.