WRITTEN QUESTION E-2581/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 September 2002)

Subject: The Morrazo superhighway in Galicia

The Galician government has planned a superhighway along the Morrazo peninsula. The route follows the mountainside for a distance of 21,5 km. The inhabitants of Morrazo accept the need for the road, but consider that with the envisaged route and the technical solutions adopted, the road will cause serious social and economic problems and damage to the environment and landscape, which can and must be avoided. The peninsula is densely populated along a coastline with fishing and commercial ports and creeks and beaches which are among the best in Galicia, and a population scattered over a spectacular and beautiful mountain landscape.

The Galician government published the information study on the project in August 2000. The environmental impact assessment on the road was published by the government in July 2001, and the route and declaration of public interest of the project were approved in September that year. The preliminary acts for the occupation of the land to be expropriated are in the process of being signed. In opposition to the project submitted by the Galician government in the public information procedure, a large number of inhabitants of Morrazo 4 000 people belonging to neighbourhood associations and groups sharing common land and water supply have filed objections against parts of the route and the technical solutions which appeared in the information study published by the government in August 2000. In actual fact, many of the objections submitted by the inhabitants were incorporated by the government in its environmental assessment study of July 2000, but were not considered in the government project itself. The objections submitted by the inhabitants were ignored and the government even ignored the statements made by the Morrazo municipal authorities.

In view of all this, can the Commission say whether the superhighway is being financed by the structural funds? Does it consider that the project submitted by the government is sufficient to meet the social and economic needs and protect the environment and landscape of the Morrazo peninsula? Is the Commission aware of the circumstances of the study and the implementation of the project? Does the environmental impact study submitted by the government meet the requirements of EU directives? Has the Commission analysed whether the final version of the project meets its own requirements concerning environmental impact assessment? Is that the Commission willing to consider the statements submitted by the inhabitants of Morrazo? Does the Commission know that the Galician government is refusing the dialogue requested by the inhabitants of Morrazo who submitted objections to the superhighway project? Is it willing to promote this dialogue?

Supplementary answergiven by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2003)

The Spanish authorities have informed the Commission that they intend to include in measure 6,1 (Roads and trunk roads) of the Galicia 2000-2006 Operational Programme a project to build a 21 km long super highway, estimated cost EUR 70 003 700,4, on the Morrazo peninsula.

Work was scheduled to begin between December 2002 and February 2003 and last until 2006.

They have also stated that an environmental impact assessment has already been made for the project, for which the corresponding declaration issued by the Directorate-General for Public Works of the Xunta de Galicia and dated 27 July 2001, was published in Official Journal of Galicia No 158 of 16 August 2001. Since the Commission has not yet received the assessment it cannot at present comment on its content or compliance with the requirements of Directive 85/337/EEC(1), amended by Directive 97/11/EC(2).

Since the project cost is more than EUR 50 million the approval procedure for major projects has to be used (see Articles 25 and 26 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999(3)).

(1) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

(2) Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.