WRITTEN QUESTION E-3967/00

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Environmental degradation of the Hondo Nature Reserve, Alicante, Spain

The Hondo Nature Reserve (Parque Natural del Hondo) is a wetland area located in the province of Alicante, Spain. This area, which is protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, has been included in the Natura 2000 network under Directive 92/43/EEC(1), and has been declared an area of Special Bird Protection under Directive 79/409/EEC(2).

Despite these protection arrangements, the area is seriously affected by soil and water pollution. In the last few years, especially since 1997, thousands of birds of protected species, including the Flag Species Marmaronetta angustrirostris and Oxyura leucocephala, have died (1545 in 1999) as a result of the heavily contaminated water of the Segura River that flows into the Hondo Reserve. The Segura river water currently contains extremely high levels of heavy metals lead, chrome and cadmium as well as dangerous levels of insecticides, herbicides and other pathogenic micro-organisms, according to recent independent studies carried out by the University of Miguel Hernández (Alicante) and the University of Murcia(3).

Very little has been done to date by local and regional authorities to improve this situation and avoid the destruction of the Reserve's fauna.

What measures has the Commission taken to ensure compliance with the Birds and the Habitat Directives in order to guarantee the protection of the environment, and of the fauna and flora of the Hondo Nature Reserve?

Can the Commission confirm that the competent regional government, the Generalitat Valenciana, has already received EU funding to protect the Hondo Reserve? If so, from which European programme or fund? Has the Commission assessed whether that funding has been properly used? If not properly used, will the Commission request financial compensation?

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.

(3) See Universitas Miguel Hernandez, División de edafología y química agrícola, Informe sobre la contaminación del río Segura, 22 March 1999; Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de ecología e hidrología, Informe sobre la contaminación de las aguas del río Segura (Vega Baja), 19 July 2000.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2001)

The El Hondo area in question has been classified as a special protection area (SPA) for birds in pursuance of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the protection of wild birds. It is also a natural habitat of Community interest (NHCI) under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

The area provides a habitat for 70 % of the European population of Marmaronetta angustirrostris. In order to contribute to the protection of the environment the Commission is jointly financing two LIFE-Nature projects in the area: the first relates to the first and second phases of the action programme to conserve El Hondo and Pego-Oliva, for which its financial involvement is 4 164 million, or in other words 75 % of the total cost; the second concerns the conservation of Marmaronetta angustirrostris, for which the Community's financial involvement is 297 435, or in other words 50 % of the total cost.

The aim of this latter project is to ensure that this species is conserved in Valencia, and more especially El Hondo, the Community's most important habitat for said species.

The monthly monitoring in the area in question should enable the various human activities (shooting, fishing, tourism) to be adapted in the best possible way to the conservation of the species present.

The El Rincón property, bought as part of the first LIFE project has been restored and should become a habitat of great importance to the long-term conservation of the species present in the area. Since that property will be managed by the administration (ban on shooting, regulated access) and possesses the freshwater resources needed in order suitably to manage the water levels, it is highly probable that it will, in future, become one of the most important parts of the SPA in terms of Marmaronetta angustirrostris and Oxyura leucocephala reproduction.

Moreover, the Valencia Administration has implemented SPA forms of management at El Hondo (some of which have been jointly financed under the LIFE-Nature project) which have enabled the number of nesting pairs of both species to increase very considerably in recent years: in the case of Marmaronetta angustirrostris, for example, the number has changed from 46 pairs in 1996 to 91 in 1997, and finally to 164 in 1998. The data for 1999 show that this species is reproducing less because of the poor quality of the water in this wetland.

The action taken by the area manager (a ban on shooting over a major part of the SPA, land purchase in order to restore the habitat, monitoring, etc.) have enabled the Marmaronetta angustirrostris population to increase very significantly.

It is true, as regards the water and problems connected with species mortality, that two epidemics have broken out in recent years, probably because of the poor quality of the water in this wetland. It must not be forgotten that this is a lagoon used to store irrigation water from the mouth of the Segura, which is water of very low quality. This problem will only be solved when alternative, better-quality, water resources are available. However, since that river's basin is very heavily in deficit it seems very difficult to imagine that a solution will be found in the near future.

In both cases the authorities responsible for managing the SPA have taken what action they can in order to reduce the effects of those epidemics (corpse collection and incineration, relevant analyses, population monitoring etc.).

So far the projects have operated well and the recipient has shown a real interest in completing all of the work.

Moreover, in more general terms, it must be pointed out that, on 24 November 2000, the Commission approved a national rural development programme concerning the concomitant activities covering 2 223 million to be paid from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). This programme, to apply nationally, includes, in particular,

agri-environmental activities intended to grant aid to farmers applying agricultural production practices that are particularly favourable towards the environment. These include measures that are intended to reduce pesticide and fertiliser presence, used crops for the protection of flora and fauna more widely and withdraw land from production in order to create reserved sectors which may help to improve the protection of the environment, more particularly in the province of Valencia referred to by the Honourable Member.