(2004/C58E/124) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1894/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:Toxic-wastemanagementintheValenciaregion
TheValenciaRegionalGovernmenthasstillnotsolvedtheseriousproblemofmanagingurbansolidwaste
(USW)andtoxicwaste,astheCommissionhasbeeninformedbymeansofreportsonthecaseswhicharemostdamagingtotheenvironment.
Theseinclude:
/dash theDosAguas(Valencia) refusedump,which issuspectedofpollutinggroundwaterintendedfor
humanconsumptionandwhoseproximitytomajorresidentialareasiscausinglocalpeopleproblemssuchasexposuretobadsmellsandtoarangeofallergiesandrespiratoryailments(seeE-1261/98(
1)
andE-0631/99(2));
/dash theFervasa(QuartdePobletyAldaia)USWdump,whichcausesleachingandbadsmellsandwhichis
infestedbyratsandparasites(seeE-2084/01(3)andE-2260/02(4)).
Inadditiontothesecasesofpoorwastemanagementthereareotheroneswhichalsoposeaseriousthreat
totheenvironmentandtothehealthofthepeoplelivinginproximitytothesites.
Agrowingawarenessofsuchthreatshaspromptedmajorprotestsamongstlocalinhabitants.Particularly
significantaretheas-yetunresolvedcaseoftheabove-mentionedDosAguasrefusedumpandthatoftheRealdeMontroitoxic-wastedumpwhichisrunbytheVERcompanyandwhichhasrecentlybeenclosedpursuanttoaSupremeCourtjudgmentcondemningitsmanyirregularities.
InitsresponsetothemanycasesreportedtheCommission,havingcarriedoutabriefinquiry,usually
announcesthatithasbeenassuredbytheSpanishauthoritiesthatthesitesinquestionhaveallundergoneamandatoryenvironmentalimpactstudyandhavequalifiedfortherequisitelocalandregionallicences.However,oneofthemosttellingargumentsputforwardbythelocalpeopleaffectedisthatconstruction,managementandemissionpermitsarenotgrantedinaccordancewiththerulesandthatthetermsandconditionslaiddowninSpanishlawandCommunitydirectivesarenotmet.
HastheCommissionhadanopportunitytocheckforitselfthatimpactassessmentshavebeencarriedout
(and that licences and permits have been granted for the above-mentioned sites) in accordance withSpanishlawtransposedfromEUlegislationandwithCommunitydirectives?
DoestheCommissionnotconsiderthatitshoulddomorethansimplyexaminethedatasuppliedbythe
Spanishauthoritiesandthatitshouldre-openitsinquiryintoDosAguasandFervasa?
Isthe Commissionintending tomakerepresentationstotheValencia regional authorities inorderto
ensure that waste is properly managed (this being particularly important in the case of a highlyindustrialisedanddenselypopulatedregionwheretheissuehasamajorimpactonthetouristindustry)?
(1) OJC402,22.12.1998,p.103.
(2) OJC348,3.12.1999,p.110.
(3) OJC40E,14.2.2002,p.182.
(4) OJC28E,6.2.2003,p.211.
Jointanswer
toWrittenquestionsE-1893/03andE-1894/03
givenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(23July2003)
TheCommissionhasnotseenthereportonwastemanagementinValenciadrawnupbytheUnión
General de Trabajadores (UGT), to which the Honourable Member refers in this Written Question.Consequently, it cannot say whether the authorities in the Valencia region may be failing to applyCommunitylegislationregardinghazardouswasteproperly.6.3.2004EN C58E/109 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
However,theCommissionwillexaminetheproblemraisedbytheHonourableMemberonceitreceives
thereportreferredtointheWrittenQuestion.
TheCommissiondoesnothavethepowertorequireaMemberStatetochooseaspecificsiteforthe
constructionofawastetreatmentfacility,ortorequirethecreationofsuchasite.Thatchoicefallsunderthepowersofthenationalauthorities.
The Commission has not been informed about the toxic waste dump at Real de Montroi or the
irregularitieswhichledtheSupremeCourttoforceittoclosedown.Theproblemregardingthisfacilityis
thereforenowresolvedasaresultoftheCourt’sjudgment.
WithregardtotheotherfacilitiesreferredtobytheHonourableMember,theCommissionwouldpoint
outthatithaslaunchedtwoinvestigationsofitsownregardingtheDosAguasfacilityandtheFervasawastetreatmentcentre.Scrutinyofthesetwocaseshasrevealedthattheformerwasauthorisedfollowinganimpactassessmentstudyandafavourablefindingbythecompetentauthorities.However,thewaste
treatmentcentredidnotundergoanimpactassessmentstudysinceitwasauthorisedin1977,longbefore
SpainjoinedtheCommunity.
InthelightoftheinformationprovidedbytheSpanishauthoritiesaboutthesefacilities,theCommission
hasnotfoundanyinfringementoftheapplicableCommunitylegislation.
However,asitannouncedtotheHonourableMemberinitsreplytoQuestion2260/02(
1)andinaletter
totheHonourableMemberon8November2002regardingtheFervasatreatmentcentre,theCommissiondoesnotruleoutthepossibilityofexaminingthewastemanagementproblemsreferredtowhenitreceivestherelevantinformation.
(1) OJC28E,6.2.2003.
(2004/C58E/125) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1895/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:MineralResourceExtractionPlanandNatura2000areasintheValenciaregion
InthedraftversionoftheMineralResourceExtractionPlanrelatingtotheclaysectorintheValencia
region(which iscurrentlyavailableforpublicconsultation),25ofthe94SCIareasproposedbytheregionalgovernmentforinclusionintheNatura2000Network(
1)aredescribedas‘suitablesubjectto
evaluation’(i.e.subjecttoanenvironmentalimpactassessment)forminingpurposes.
UnderthePlan,suchimportantNatura2000sitesasPenyagolosa,theCaroigmountainranges,theriver
PalanciaandtheHocesdelCabriel(amongstothers)areidentifiedascontainingclaydeposits.Onlyinthenaturalparksandincertainspecialprotectionareasforbirdsareminingoperationsbanned.
DoestheCommissionconsiderthedraftMineralResourcesPlantobecompatiblewiththeconservationof
thebiodiversityfoundintheNatura2000areaswhichtheregionalgovernmentitselfhasdesignated?
DoestheCommissionconsiderthatSCIareascanlegitimatelybedeclaredas‘sitessuitable,subjectto
evaluation,forminingpurposes’whenminingoperationsinprotectedareasareexplicitlybannedunderCommunity law on the grounds that such activities are highly damaging to flora, fauna and theenvironment?
(1) Source:ValenciaRegionalGovernment,MinistryforIndustry.C58E/110 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion