WRITTEN QUESTION E-2743/00

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Sewage plant in Sarroch, Sardinia

In 1993 the region of Sardinia delegated responsibility to the municipality of Sarroch for building a sewage treatment plant at Perd'e Sali Porto Columbu with funding from the Envireg Community programme(1). After the project had been assigned to a firm(2), the

work was suspended on 26 February 1996 for an expert's report to be drawn up on relocating the sewage plant, because the engineer responsible for the planning of the project had failed to take into account the fact that there was still housing in the vicinity of the proposed site. Once the survey had been approved(3), the contractors refused to resume work, prompting the municipality of Sarroch to cancel the contract(4). The work was then entrusted to another firm, which built the sewage plant at the new location indicated in the report, above the user sector, close to the sea, in the only remaining unspoilt natural area of the municipality of Sarroch.

Although a letter was sent to the office of the Cagliari Public Prosecutor on 23 July 1997 asking it to check the legality of the various authorisations for the construction work and compliance with the existing laws on the environment, no measures have yet been taken.

At present, the sewage plant has been completely abandoned and is a target for vandalism. The sewage problems of the area concerned have not been resolved and the area has been disfigured, jeopardising possible tourist development.

Will the Commission investigate the legality of the management of the Community funds used for the project? Does it not think that the recipients of the funding should compensate the European Union, since the project concerned did not fulfil its objectives?

(1) Decision No 35/3 of 24 September 1993; delegation order DCGADA No 2557 of 8 October 1993.

(2) Municipal Council Decision No 365 of 25 November 1994.

(3) Municipal Council Decision No 328 of 8 November 1996, endorsed by the opinions of the Department of the Environment and the Department of Public Education of the autonomous region of Sardinia and the office for the protection of the artistic, architecture and historical heritage.

(4) Municipal Council Decision No 58 of 21 February 1997.

Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 2001)

Following the Honourable Member's question the Commission been in contact with the Italian Environment Ministry, responsible authority for the Envireg programme, for the purpose of having the matter thoroughly investigated.

If the conclusions of the investigation so warrant, the Commission will be able under Article 24 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93 of 20 July 1993(1) amending Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments), to call for exclusion of the project from the Envireg programme and recovery of sums already paid out under it.

(1) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.