WRITTEN QUESTION P-2850/02

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

(4 October 2002)

Subject: Proposed Ebro water transfer in Catalonia, Spain

The Catalonian Regional Government has recently submitted to public consultation a project to connect the Tarragona and Barcelona water supply networks. This project represents in fact the first stage of the northern stretch of the proposed Ebro water transfer.

The estimated cost of the project is EUR 125 million and the Spanish Ministers for the Environment and Regional Development agreed over the summer to apply for EU funding for 85 % of the total project costs.

There is great controversy about this project, and civil society and the Regional Government of Aragon are opposed because the project represents an enormous abstraction which will threaten the Ebro Delta, which is a Natura 2000 site, SPA, Ramsar Site, Natural Park, etc.

Another project, Xerta-Senia, has also recently been submitted to public consultation by the Catalonian Regional Government. Its route coincides with the southern stretch of the proposed Ebro transfer.

With these proposed projects, the Spanish Government and the Regional Government of Catalonia infringe not only EU Environmental laws which protect the Ebro Delta (Habitats, Wild Birds, Water Framework Directives), but also the EU Structural Funds legislation as these projects are in reality part of a major project, the Ebro transfer, and therefore need an overall environmental impact assessment (cf Article 26, Structural Funds Regulation).

In view of Commissioner Barnier's clearly stated views on the need for structural funds projects to comply with environmental legislation (cf. Letter to Guardian newspaper, 31 July 2002), what is the Commission's position as regards the potential impacts on the local environment of the Tarragona-Barcelona and the Xerta-Senia projects and of any future parts of the Ebro Transfer submitted before the overall EIA of the transfer is elaborated?

Will the Commission request that the overall environmental assessment of the Ebro Transfer, including the dams in the Pyrenees, is finalised before any decision on EU funding is taken?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2002)

The Commission has not yet received any application for aid from the Structural or Cohesion Funds for the project indicated by the Honourable Member. The provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/1994 of 16 May 1994 establishing a Cohesion Fund(1) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(2) are such that any Commission decision on part-financing of water projects in the Member States from these financial instruments requires compliance with Community environment law, including the provisions on environmental impact studies.

The Commission is engaged in ongoing dialogue with the Spanish authorities on the potential environmental impact of the Spanish national water plan in general and the Ebro transfer in particular. It has been working closely with them on implementation of the relevant Community legislation dealing with habitats, environmental impact assessment and water protection. Last January the Spanish authorities voluntarily produced a provisional strategic environmental assessment of the Ebro transfer, and they have also pledged to undertake environmental impact assessments for the entire Ebro transfer plus the transfers to the various river basins in southern Spain. Under the Community legislation individual projects (dams, aqueducts, tunnels etc.) will also be subject to impact assessments. In taking any decisions to support projects in connection with the Ebro transfer from the Structural Funds or the Cohesion Fund the Commission will of course take account of the various environmental impact assessments to be carried out by the Spanish authorities.

(1) OJ L 130, 25.5.1994.

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.