EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/866

(2004/C 78 E/0920)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3871/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Subject: Connection between the Ebro water transfer and the Júcar-Vinalopó water transfer

The transfer of water from the Ebro to the Spanish south-east involves the building of a canal which, in the projected section between the River Júcar and the River Vinalopó, will converge with the canal provided for in the water transfer from the Júcar to the Vinalopó. The Spanish authorities intend to achieve both transfers by building both channels, which will leave the River Júcar at points scarcely 30 4miles apart to converge near Villena. The government has not explained why it has decided to construct these two adjacent canals virtually simultaneously, with the same purpose of transferring water, at colossal financial and environmental cost, and furthermore, it has not explained why it wants the EU to co-fund them. The government cannot justify the existence of sufficient water resources in the Júcar to carry out this transfer, and the supposed surpluses to be transferred, as shown in the Hydrological Plan of the Júcar Basin, no longer exist. The declining water resources of the Júcar have fallen even more steeply in recent years. This means that regular transfer could only comprise a reduced volume of water through the Júcar-Vinalopó canal if adequate resources were being brought into the Júcar beforehand so as to rebalance the system in both water flow and quality terms. We should not forget that the studies which the Commission already has in its possession, in research file 2001/4649 of the National Hydrological Plan, show that it is more and more doubtful whether the Ebro transfer can in fact meet both requirements. For that reason, the Júcar-Vinalopó transfer project is entirely dependent on the Ebro transfer, of which it forms an indissoluble part, and would only be viable if the latter were equally viable. But, on the other hand, if the Ebro transfer were finally implemented, the Júcar-Vinalopó canal would be redundant thanks to the major Tous-Villena canal, which would mean that there would be no point in building it. From the standpoint of the rational and efficient use of public funds, the Júcar-Vinalopó transfer constitutes a logical problem which has no solution: without the Ebro transfer it is not viable because it will lack sufficient water flow, and with the Ebro transfer it is not viable either, because it will be a redundant infrastructure.

Under these circumstances, how can the Commission justify funding this infrastructure?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2004)

According to official correspondence from the Spanish authorities, there is no linkage between the proposed Ebro transfer and the Júcar Vinalopó transfer. This means that no water from the Proposed Ebro transfer will be introduced into the Júcar river. The proposed Júcar-Vinalopó transfer is an independent project with the water for the transfer to be made available as a result of water savings resulting from improved irrigation systems. Nevertheless, this fact is independent from the proposed transfer of 315 hm3 of water from the Ebro transfer to the Júcar river hydrological district.

With regard to the possible duplication of the transfer infrastructure, namely the Júcar Vinalopó canal and Tous-Villena conduction, which is a combination of different sections of canal, pressure pipeline and tunnels, the latter being part of the infrastructure linked to the proposed Ebro transfer, it would indeed appear to be the case that the two canals will be constructed in close proximity to each other. Nevertheless, the Júcar-Vinalopó transfer is at a higher level than the Tous-Villena conduction, which would not allow for the transfer from one conduction to another. In the area in which both conductions are equi-distant, the Tous-Villena one goes through a tunnel, which makes any connection even more unlikely. It should be stressed once more that the two transfers are completely independent from each other, without any plan to link them in the future.