WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/01

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 January 2001)

Subject: Spanish Draft Plan relating to management of water resources

In July 2000, the Spanish Government put forward a proposal for a new water-resources management plan aimed at introducing a new fully-integrated legal framework for water management. The plan is due to come before the Spanish Parliament early next year. The issue of interregional water transfers has been, and is likely to remain, the bill's most controversial point, but the Spanish Government is speeding up multiple projects for large-scale reservoirs and water-transfer systems that will have an extremely serious social and environmental impact through failure to respect the precautionary principle, with particular regard to sustainable water management. The Aragón Regional Government has already given notice that it will oppose any attempt to transfer water from its own basins.

Is the European Commission aware of the Spanish Government's plans to build a large number of new dams and water-transfer systems as part of its new water-resources management plan? Can the Commission confirm that the Spanish Government has already received EU funding to finance these plans and from which European programme or fund? Will the Spanish Community Support Framework, financed by the Structural Funds 2000-2006, and the Cohesion Fund allocate funding to support these water-transfer operations? If so, how can these operations be justified under the requested ex-ante environmental appraisal for the Structural Funds and the strategic assessment for the Cohesion Fund? Are the Spanish plans in line with the provisions on water transfers set out in the new Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)? Is the Spanish draft plan in line with the article of the new Water Framework Directive relating to water pricing, and the common guidelines for the use of water charging(1) current being drawn up?

(1) Pricing policies for enhancing the sustainability of water resources COM(2000) 477.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2001)

The draft Plan Hidrológico Nacional received a favourable vote of the consultative body Consejo Nacional del Agua on 30 January 2001. It was adopted by the Spanish government on 9 February 2001 and was passed by the lower chamber of the Spanish parliament in mid March. The project has been subject to a large consultation with all concerned stakeholders and a detailed analysis will be possible once it is in its final version. The Plan encompasses the analyses and elements related to the different river basins, but it also constitutes a global framework for national water policies and actions which goes beyond the meaning of River Basin Management of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy(1).

With regard to the latter Directive, the implementation of the Plan should comply with the following mandatory obligations:

a) the elaboration of detailed river basin management plans for each entire individual river basin in Spain by 2009,

b) the elaboration of an analysis of pressures and impacts including an economic analysis by 2004.

Moreover, for the shared river basins like the Duero, Tajo and Miño rivers, such plans must be developed in close cooperation with Portugal.

As for the elaboration of the river basin management plans, a range of Community legislation is relevant and already mandatory beyond the Water Framework Directive, e.g. Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds(2), Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(3), and Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment(4). The Commission will, in its role as Guardian of the Treaties, carefully observe the issue.

As regards water transfers, the Water Framework Directive does not per se prohibit these. However, they have to comply with the environmental objectives, such as providing sufficient water quantity in the basin of abstraction/diversion to meet the requirements of good ecological status, and not interfering with other Community legislation such as the Birds and Habitats Directives.

As regards the economic aspects and pricing, the obligations under the Water Framework Directive are clearly specified. Firstly, an economic analysis has to be carried out per river basin, taking into account all water uses, and serving as well as a basis for the future water pricing policy. The deadlines to respect are 2004 for the economic analysis, and 2010 for water pricing being operational. The Commission Communication of July 2000 on Pricing policies for enhancing the sustainability of water resources provides principles and guidance for implementing the economic requirements of the Water Framework Directive.

The Community Support Framework for structural intervention in Objective 1 regions in Spain for 2000-2006 sets out a number of priorities, including water resources. It calls for an integrated water resource management strategy for individual basins and sub-basins, whose aim following the guidelines of the Water Framework Directive is to create complete operational systems which will be incorporated in and coordinated by the National Hydrological Plan.

To date, several projects in this field have been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, on the basis of the plans for individual basins. The Spanish authorities have presented a framework water-supply strategy with project selection criteria and an initial list of priority activities for each basin. Sets of projects for individual basins are now being examined by the Commission with a view to possible co-financing through the Cohesion Fund during the period 2000-2006.

The Commission will ensure that the programmes it co-finances are implemented in accordance with current legislation and that all activities are consistent and compatible with Community policy, including environment policy. It must be emphasised that the Hydrological Plan is very general in character. When it comes to assessing whether individual projects are compatible with, for example, the Water Framework Directive or the Habitats Directive, far more detail will be required, as dictated by the legislation in question.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(4) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.