However,theCommissionwillexaminetheproblemraisedbytheHonourableMemberonceitreceives
thereportreferredtointheWrittenQuestion.
TheCommissiondoesnothavethepowertorequireaMemberStatetochooseaspecificsiteforthe
constructionofawastetreatmentfacility,ortorequirethecreationofsuchasite.Thatchoicefallsunderthepowersofthenationalauthorities.
The Commission has not been informed about the toxic waste dump at Real de Montroi or the
irregularitieswhichledtheSupremeCourttoforceittoclosedown.Theproblemregardingthisfacilityis
thereforenowresolvedasaresultoftheCourt’sjudgment.
WithregardtotheotherfacilitiesreferredtobytheHonourableMember,theCommissionwouldpoint
outthatithaslaunchedtwoinvestigationsofitsownregardingtheDosAguasfacilityandtheFervasawastetreatmentcentre.Scrutinyofthesetwocaseshasrevealedthattheformerwasauthorisedfollowinganimpactassessmentstudyandafavourablefindingbythecompetentauthorities.However,thewaste
treatmentcentredidnotundergoanimpactassessmentstudysinceitwasauthorisedin1977,longbefore
SpainjoinedtheCommunity.
InthelightoftheinformationprovidedbytheSpanishauthoritiesaboutthesefacilities,theCommission
hasnotfoundanyinfringementoftheapplicableCommunitylegislation.
However,asitannouncedtotheHonourableMemberinitsreplytoQuestion2260/02(
1)andinaletter
totheHonourableMemberon8November2002regardingtheFervasatreatmentcentre,theCommissiondoesnotruleoutthepossibilityofexaminingthewastemanagementproblemsreferredtowhenitreceivestherelevantinformation.
(1) OJC28E,6.2.2003.
(2004/C58E/125) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1895/03
byMaríaSornosaMartínez(PSE)totheCommission
(6June2003)
Subject:MineralResourceExtractionPlanandNatura2000areasintheValenciaregion
InthedraftversionoftheMineralResourceExtractionPlanrelatingtotheclaysectorintheValencia
region(which iscurrentlyavailableforpublicconsultation),25ofthe94SCIareasproposedbytheregionalgovernmentforinclusionintheNatura2000Network(
1)aredescribedas‘suitablesubjectto
evaluation’(i.e.subjecttoanenvironmentalimpactassessment)forminingpurposes.
UnderthePlan,suchimportantNatura2000sitesasPenyagolosa,theCaroigmountainranges,theriver
PalanciaandtheHocesdelCabriel(amongstothers)areidentifiedascontainingclaydeposits.Onlyinthenaturalparksandincertainspecialprotectionareasforbirdsareminingoperationsbanned.
DoestheCommissionconsiderthedraftMineralResourcesPlantobecompatiblewiththeconservationof
thebiodiversityfoundintheNatura2000areaswhichtheregionalgovernmentitselfhasdesignated?
DoestheCommissionconsiderthatSCIareascanlegitimatelybedeclaredas‘sitessuitable,subjectto
evaluation,forminingpurposes’whenminingoperationsinprotectedareasareexplicitlybannedunderCommunity law on the grounds that such activities are highly damaging to flora, fauna and theenvironment?
(1) Source:ValenciaRegionalGovernment,MinistryforIndustry.C58E/110 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(24July2003)
The Honourable Member is referring to the blueprint Mineral Resources Management Plan of the
AutonomousCommunityofValencia.
TheCommissiondoesnothaveinformationregardingthismanagementplan.TheNatura2000networkis
establishedundertheHabitatsDirective(1)andinprincipletheDirectivedoesnotprohibitanyactivity
withinaNatura2000site.
Article6oftheaforementioneddirectiveestablishesthatanyplanorprojectnotdirectlyconnectedwith
or necessary to the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, eitherindividuallyorincombinationwithotherplansorprojects,shallbesubjecttoappropriateassessmentofitsimplicationsforthesiteinviewofthesite’sconservationobjectives.Inthelightoftheconclusionsoftheassessmentoftheimplicationsforthesiteandsubjecttotheprovisionsofparagraph4ofthisarticle,thecompetentnationalauthoritiesshallagreetotheplanorprojectonlyafterhavingascertainedthatitwillnotadverselyaffecttheintegrityofthesiteconcernedand,ifappropriate,afterhavingobtainedtheopinionofthegeneralpublic.
AccordingtotheinformationprovidedbytheHonourableMemberanenvironmentalimpactassessment
willbecompulsoryforanyactionwithinprotectedareas.Therefore,itseemsthatthemeasuresadoptedbytheauthoritiesfollowtherequirementsoftheHabitatsdirective.
Nevertheless,itisforeseeablethatthenationalauthoritiessubmittheplanandalltheindividualprojectsto
anenvironmentalassessmentaccordingtotheprovisionsofarticle6oftheHabitatsDirective.
(1) CouncilDirective92/43/EECof21May1992ontheconservationofnaturalhabitatsandofwildfaunaandflora,
OJL206,22.7.1992.
(2004/C58E/126) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1907/03
byPatriciaMcKenna(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(11June2003)
Subject:TheLesMaríneshousingprojectinDeniaintheValenciaregion,Spain
On 1August 2002 the town council of Denia (Valencia Region) provisionally adopted sectoral
authorisationfor400hectaresofbuildinglandatLesMarínesinordertoaltertherelevantcategoryinaccordancewiththelawregulatingtownplanningactivities,sothatthelandmaybeusedtobuild17000dwellings.TheauthorisationwasadoptedbytheAlicantetownplanningcommitteeon3February2002,whichmeansthattheworkmaystartatanytime.‘LesMarínes’isawetlandofgreatenvironmentalvalueworthy of protection and urgent restoration. The deterioration of the area may have disastrous
consequencesfortheenvironmentandtheinhabitantsofDenia,whichdoesnothaveenoughfacilities(it
hasapopulationofaround35000,whichalreadyrisesto100000insummer,anditdoesnothaveenoughschools,hospitalbedsorwastemanagementservices).Theareawherebuildingworkisplannedishometoanumberofplantspeciesrecognisedinthe‘Habitats’Directive(92/43/EEC)(
1)andmorethan
100birdspecies,someofwhicharelistedinAnnex1totheDirectiveonbirds(79/409/EEC(2)):Emberiza
hortulana,Nycticoraxnycticorax,Egrettagarzetta,Ardeapurpurea,Falcocolumbarius,Larusaudouinii,Sternasandvicensis,ChlidoniasnigerandAlcedoatthis.
The Les Marínes area is also surrounded, within a distance of one kilometre, by three habitats of
Community interest: the Pego-Oliva marsh, L’Almadrava (a Posidonia oceanica marine ecosystem, thesubjectofquestionE-2661/02(
3))andElMontgó.Alltheseareascontainpriorityspecies.TheEuropean
Parliament and Council Recommendation concerning the implementation of Integrated Coastal ZoneManagementinEurope(
4)of30May2002isbeingcompletelydisregarded,althoughtherecommendation
waspromotedbytheSpanishpresidency.Theprojecthasalreadybeenthesubjectofcomplaintstothelocalandregionalauthorities,buttherehasbeennoresponse.6.3.2004EN C58E/111 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion