WRITTEN QUESTION E-3300/02

by José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE) to the Commission

(21 November 2002)

Subject: Dumping of class II waste and composting plant in La Espluga de Francoli (Tarragona, Spain)

A project is proposed for the Spanish municipality of La Espluga de Francoli (Tarragona province) for the construction of a class II waste dump and composting plant. This scheme is promoted by a public authority, the Consell Comarcal (district council) of La Conca de Berberà. The budget for the proposed installations is estimated at EUR 3 726 045.

This project (involving excessively large installations in all cases) has provoked fierce opposition in the local community, thanks to the enormous environmental impact that it would have at local level and to the failure to provide information to those affected, while no action has been taken on any of the complaints lodged.

The technical study is incomplete and contains none of the requisite environmental information. There have not been any studies of the geological, hydrogeological or local meteorological aspects, or of the risks of dispersal of pollutants. As far as leaching is concerned, the proposed treatment system, based on evaporation, is out of date. Neither existence of housing only 500 m away from the installations nor of a significant local wine industry has been taken into account.

One of the promoters' main arguments in favour of the project is that the installations will be built at zero cost, as they will be 100 % subsidised by various official entities, including the EU.

Is the Commission aware of the existence of this project? If so, does it consider it to be compatible with EU environmental law?

Is it the case that part of the investment entails collaboration with the EU by means of the Structural Funds? If so, does the EU contribution apply to all or to part of the project? If to part, to which part(s)? What sums are involved, and on what time basis?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2003)

The project to which the Honourable Member refers is identical to a project submitted for cofinancing by the Cohesion Fund.

It is one of a set of projects, Municipal waste treatment plants in the Urgell, Pallás Llusá and Conca de Barberá districts, and forms part of the Catalonia Municipal Waste Management Programme.

The Conca de Barberá project is in fact two projects:

- the Espluga de Francolí composting plant;

- the Espluga de Francolí landfill site.

When these were first presented, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been carried out, though the competent authorities had drawn the Commission's attention to the need for one.

The Commission waited for the EIA to be done and the EIA statement was published on 6 March 2002.

According to the statement:

- the public has been consulted;

- with regard to the composting plant (7000 metric tonnes/year), inspection conditions have been established and the Commission regards such recycling of organic matter in areas where the soil is lacking in it as a good way of using it to improve the soil in agriculture and forestry;

- the landfill site proposed for the waste and the non-compostable products has the right guarantees as regards impermeability and leachate treatment for this type of project. Leachate concentrates will be treated by an approved contractor;

- there are to be gas treatment installations with a capacity of 3 650 cubic metres per hectare (m3/h);

- there is to be financially guaranteed permanent monitoring of operations, with conditions and inspections specified in the EIA statement;

- as regards the excessively large size of the installations, the Commission considers that, in view of the size of the waste collection area and the proposed lifetime of the installations, the project applies adequate principles of forecasting and prevention.

The Commission is going to ask the Spanish authorities for details on the project's impact in view of the proximity of residential areas, and will forward any reply it receives to the Honourable Member.

Accordingly, since it has been assured that the projects are unlikely to have any adverse effect on Natura 2000 sites, the Commission considers that the projects referred to by the Honourable Member comply with European Union environmental protection legislation. The Commission intends to approve this set of projects as soon as the budgetary resources for 2003 become available.