WRITTEN QUESTION E-2373/99

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Integrated tourist development in Messinia

At the end of the year, the Greek Parliament is due to discuss plans for the largest tourist investment project yet carried out in Greece, involving the creation of an integrated tourist development complex in the prefecture of Messinia, the works being scheduled to begin in March 2000. The complex will be situated along designated coastal areas (715 hectares) in Messinia. 35 % of the funding will come from own resources, 35 % from loans and 30 % from the Community.

Recently I have received many complaints from local residents and from environmental and other organisations which maintain that the integrated tourist complex:

- will contribute to further reducing primary production since, by occupying 700 hectares, the complex will greatly reduce the area under cultivation, thereby undermining the local economy,

- will sabotage efforts made to date to develop small agricultural and ecological tourist ventures in harmony with the nature of the area as a whole and its historical and archaeological heritage, together with the environment and preservation of the ecological balance,

- will seriously deplete ground-water resources since sprinklers for the golf courses alone will require vast quantities of water in an area where there is already a shortage of ground water suitable for human consumption.

- In addition, they point out that the wetland biotope around the Divari Gialovas lagoon, situated between two of the hotel complexes under construction, forms part of the Natura 2000 project (No 2550004/6/955).

Can the Commission give its assurance that, as a financial backer of the project, it will make representations to the relevant Greek authorities to ensure that, on the one hand nothing is done to undermine the conservation of the area and, in particular, the lagoon and the river Sellas river ecosystem and that on the other, arrangements will be agreed upon concerning the sustainable and balanced socio-economic administration and development of the area?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2000)

The Gialova lagoon is included in the list of sites of Community importance proposed by Greece, by virtue of Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(1), for the Natura 2000 network. Actions for the conservation of that site are currently underway there in the framework of a LIFE-Nature project, addressing the aquatic ecosystem of the lagoon.

In that context, the beneficiary of the project (Hellenic Ornithological Society) has undertaken contacts with the Greek authorities in order to ensure that the tourist developments in question, although located outside the Natura 2000 site, will not compromise the conservation efforts and the natural value of the site as a whole.

The Commission, promoting the idea of a sustainable tourism, especially when Community funding is involved related to such areas of high conservation value, will also contact the Greek authorities in order to obtain concrete information on the matter.

The Honourable Member will be kept informed thereof.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.