WRITTEN QUESTION E-1312/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL), Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE)and Elisabeth Schroedter (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 May 2002)

Subject: Urgency and capacity of the planned motorway through the Kresna gorge in Bulgaria and deadline for inclusion of the area in the Natura 2000 network

1. In the Commission's view, to what extent was the decision to construct or upgrade the trans-European corridor No 4 between Sofia and Thessaloniki in the form of a motorway, despite the low projections for traffic on the route, influenced by the fear of political unrest concerning the Autoput Bratstvo i Jedinstvo (Motorway of brotherhood and unity) built 40 years ago in the then Yugoslavia, which still provides the shortest possible route, straight through Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia, for road traffic between EU Member States Austria and Greece?

2. Does political harmony along the route referred to in paragraph 1 mean that there is now less need to build parallel expressways through Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria?

3. To what extent is the choice of route and the urgency of construction linked to the Olympic Games to be held in Athens in 2004? Is that any real expectation that this road link will be open by then?

4. When does the Commission expect the Kresna gorge and surrounding area to be designated as a Natura 2000 area? Will this be done when Bulgaria joins the EU or not until later? Will such designation take place before construction of the E79 motorway or will it occur only after final decisions have been taken on the route of this motorway?

5. How does the Commission intend to convince the Bulgarian government of the need to opt for one of the alternatives which would restrict traffic through the Kresna gorge to local traffic and tourism in view of the area's environmental importance and would shift through traffic onto one of the possible road connections outside the area or onto the existing rail link?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2002)

1. and 2. The Commission is not aware of any direct link between the decision to construct or upgrade the trans-European corridor No 4 between Sofia and Thessaloniki in the form of a motorway and the fear of political unrest concerning theAutoput Bratstvo i Jedinstvo(Motorway of brotherhood and unity) built 40 years ago in the then Yugoslavia.

3. As indicated in the Parliament's and Council's Decision No 1692/96/EC of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(1), the establishment and development of trans-European transport networks throughout the territory of the Community have the specific objectives of ensuring the sustainable mobility of persons and goods under the best possible social, environmental and safety conditions and integrating all modes of transport, taking account of their comparative advantages. Projects of common interest, the implementation of which should contribute to the development of the network throughout the Community, have been identified through these guidelines.

Therefore, the choice to designate corridor No 4 was based on the above-mentioned criteria and followed the guidelines set out in the Community legislation.

The timetable for the completion of the part of corridor No 4 between Sofia and the Bulgarian/Greek border at Kulata will mainly depend on the decisions of the Bulgarian government.

4. The obligation for Bulgaria to contribute to the creation of the Natura 2000 network with the designation of special areas of conservation, as indicated in the Habitats Directive(2), and of special protection areas, as indicated in the Birds Directive(3), will arise upon accession.

The Commission is not in the position to assess whether the possible designation by the Bulgarian authorities of the Kresna Gorge as a Natura 2000 area will take place before the planned construction of the Sofia-Kulata motorway, whatever the final decision on the alignment of this latter may be.

5. On various occasions and at different levels, the Commission has repeatedly stressed that the Community financing instruments will only accept to finance projects that are in compliance with the Community environmental acquis. This applies, in particular, to the need to assess the impacts of the projects on the environment on the basis of provisions similar to those included in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive(4).

Part of the Kresna Gorge is listed in the latest inventory of Important Bird Areas (IBA 2000) prepared by Bird Life International in 2000. The Commission therefore considers this as a site of importance for nature conservation for the purpose of the application of the ISPA instrument. Therefore, should Bulgaria apply for Community assistance through ISPA for the construction of the Sofia Kulata part of Corridor N. 4, the Commission would make sure that an appropriate environmental assessment according to the EIA directives, and to Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive is carried out.

In addition, Bulgaria, like all the other candidate countries, has committed itself to comply with the Community environmental acquis, even before accession, in relation to every new investment project. This therefore also ensures that projects, which are financed in Bulgaria through sources other than those of the Community, will have to comply with the standards set in the Community environmental acquis. Therefore, in addition to the directive on the environmental impact assessment, the Habitats and Birds Directives would also have to be complied with.

Through these instruments, the Commission would do its utmost to make sure that the rich Bulgarian bio-diversity is protected in conformity with the Community acquis.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(3) Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(4) 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, OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.