WRITTEN QUESTION E-3435/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 December 2002)

Subject: Containment of earthquake hazards in the Lazio region

A natural disaster has recently struck the Molise region in Italy, where an earth tremor measuring eight on the Mercalli Scale resulted in numerous deaths, widespread infrastructural damage and serious damage to the cultural and natural heritage. The widely-reported collapse of the San Giuliano primary school where 26 children and 1 schoolmistress died beneath the rubble is unfortunately only the most notorious example of the tragedy which affected 44 municipalities leaving 11 000 people homeless, resulting in major damage to churches and causing buildings to collapse.

The risk of similar situations recurring is extremely high in many areas of Italy in particular Lazio, situated over the Olevano-Antrodoco seismic fault, one of the principal and most extensive faults in central Italy.

Therefore numerous measures are necessary for the purpose of prevention, improved earthquake protection, better risk containment and improved early warning and emergency response procedures and resources, for which considerable funding will be necessary, in addition to that already available to the central government and Lazio regional authorities.

In view of the commitment shown by the European Union in the management of natural disasters, involving not only the recent Solidarity Fund to assist stricken populations but the adoption of a Programme of Action for the civil populace to contain risks and damage to persons, property and the environment in cases of natural disaster, can the Commission provide the following information:

1. Is the Lazio region eligible for such a programme, to what extent and under what conditions?

2. Are any other programmes or other forms of funding for the containment of natural disasters available?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2003)

The Council Decision of 9 December 1999 establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection(1) is intended to support and supplement Member States' efforts at national, regional and local levels for the protection of persons, property and the environment in the event of natural and technological disasters. In order to be eligible for Community funding, actions under the programme must concern all Member States or a significant number of them. The results of the actions carried out so far are shown at http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/civil. From now on, actions must be the subject of a call for proposals to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Under the Single Programming Document for the Lazio region which the European Regional Development Fund is co-funding for the period 2000-2006, there is provision (under measure I.1, granted a budget of EUR 55 million) for structural assistance for soil protection measures aimed at, among other things, preventing disasters. These include measures to consolidate sloping ground, hydraulic engineering work and coastal protection. Moreover, environmental control and monitoring measures can be funded (under measure I.4, with a budget of around EUR 8 million), making it possible to gain information on the state of the environment in the region which can also be used to civil protection ends.

Implementing these measures is a matter for the regional administration which is the management authority for the programme and is responsible in particular for selecting individual projects.

Thus, for the Lazio region, the rural development plan co-funded by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) provides for the restoration of agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters and the establishment of appropriate prevention instruments.

The Commission is prepared to examine any proposal from the national and regional authorities aimed at modifying the current operational programme in order to concentrate available resources on existing or new measures to help overcome certain problems caused by the earthquake.

(1) OJ L 327, 21.12.1999.