WRITTEN QUESTION E-2287/01

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE), Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE),María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL)to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Community funding for an increase in the capacity of the Yesa reservoir

In its answer of 15 March 2001 to Written Question E-0004/01(1) on European funding for an increase in the capacity of the Yesa reservoir, the Commission stated that in January 2001 it had proposed that a decision be adopted on joint financing, under the cohesion funds, of a project concerning the water supplies for the city of Zaragoza and of the 22 municipalities in the Ebro corridor, covering EUR 70 901 365. The work concerns the pipework running from the La Loteta reservoir to Zaragoza and to the other locations, not including the ducting of water from the Pyrenees as provided for in the initial project. This project has never been included in the funding of the extension of the Yesa reservoir nor has it had any direct relationship with this .

Given that increasing the Yesa reservoir's existing capacity from 491 to 1 521 hm3 is apparently designed to transfer water from the Pyrenees to other areas, does the Commission intend to apply the same criteria here as it did to funding for the project to supply Zaragoza with water, and thereby withhold funding for work to increase the capacity of the Yesa reservoir?

In addition, the Spanish authorities are neglecting to classify those areas that lie within the planned basins of the reservoirs proposed by the Spanish Government under the National Hydrological Plan as special protection areas, or are employing a technique whereby they divide areas of environmental importance in two and use the different protection formulas to classify only the area left unaffected by the planned reservoir basin.

Such is the case with the planned increase in capacity of the Yesa reservoir. In excluding the section of the Foz de Sigüés affected by the planned reservoir basin, the Spanish authorities have failed to recognise the environmental importance of that area as a whole as a special protection area for birds.

Does the Commission intend to intervene as a matter of course in cases of this kind in which environmental directives and projects anywhere in the European Union are evidently being undermined?

(1) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001, p. 84.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(23 October 2001)

As indicated in the reply to Written Question E-0004/01(1), the Spanish authorities did not request that the Structural Funds or the Cohesion Fund cofinance the extension of the Yesa reservoir. The Commission is therefore not in a position to comment on the possibility of a future request for cofinancing, as, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the choice of projects is a matter for the Member States.

As regards the designation of special protection areas for birds (SPAs), the Commission has, under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty, opened an infringement procedure against Spain, which covers, in accordance with Article 4 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds(2), the insufficient classification as SPAs of the territories most suitable in number and size, as well as the partial classification of sites in key bird areas (ZICOs) identified as such by the inventory of key areas for the conservation of birds in Europe.

Under this infringement procedure, which carries the reference number 99/2212, Spain was sent a reasoned opinion in early 2001. The Spanish authorities recently informed the Commission that they were starting the procedures necessary to increase the number of SPAs in the Autonomous Community of Aragon from 11 to 50, most of which

are situated in the key bird areas. It should be noted that these new proposals will expand by 603,790 hectares (ha) the areas classified as SPAs in the Autonomous Community of Aragon, which partly includes the Foz de Sigüés.

(1) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001.

(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.