EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/236

(2004/C 78 E/0238)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3178/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(20 October 2003)

Subject: Damage caused by the Prestige: fresh evaluation and the Solidarity Fund

On 9 October, the EP authorised the Commission to mobilise the Solidarity Fund at the urging of the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish Governments in respect of earthquakes, forest fires and the Prestige disaster respectively. The Commission proposed percentages in terms of the requests submitted by the various governments and their own damage estimates, namely EUR 436 million in the case of the ‘Prestige’; Spain was awarded EUR 8,6 million, while Italy was awarded EUR 46,7 million and Portugal, EUR 48,5 million.

The Portuguese Government had submitted an initial estimate of EUR 509 million, and later submitted an additional estimate raising this to EUR 718 million. The Spanish Government, however, despite the fact that the Prestige disaster is not over, stuck to its initial estimate, made a mere two months after the disaster had begun, showing no concern thereafter to make any supplementary evaluation of the damage.

Only five days after the EP approved these subsidies, the Spanish Government announced, in the Chamber of Deputies, an evaluation which put the damage at EUR 700 million, EUR 264 million more than the figure supplied to the Commission. If the Spanish authorities had submitted a supplementary estimate to the Commission which reflected this revision, the Solidarity Fund allocation for Spain, under identical conditions, would have been EUR 13,86 million, i.e. EUR 5 234 million more than was actually awarded.

Has the Spanish Government, like the Portuguese Government, submitted a further evaluation in addition to its initial request?

Would the Commission be prepared to review the amount granted to Spain, should the Spanish Government submit a supplementary estimate, so that those hit by the ‘Prestige’ disaster could receive the aid they rightly deserve from the Solidarity Fund?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(25 November 2003)

The initial Spanish application to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for the Prestige disaster was received on 13 January 2003, containing preliminary estimates of the costs for cleaning up the coastline, cleaning and restoration of the Atlantic Islands national park, operations at sea and other related operations. The estimates did not include those relating to finding a permanent solution for the wreck.

Further information was transmitted by the Spanish authorities on 13 May 2003, 13 June 2003 and 17 June. It was on the basis of this information that the Commission proposed a grant to Spain under the Solidarity Fund that was based on the latest figures received. As explained in more detail in the explanatory memorandum to draft amending budget, the original figure had to be adjusted to exclude certain indirect damage, on the one hand and, to include the estimated cost of the permanent solution to the wreck on the other hand.

The Commission has no knowledge on how the estimate for damage presented to the Spanish parliament of EUR 700 million was calculated, nor whether this amount contains any damage not eligible under the Solidarity Fund.

In the event of a continuation of damage from the wreck, the Commission can accept new evidence up until the moment it makes its proposal for an amending budget to Parliament and the Council. Further updating, while the budgetary procedure is in progress, is possible only if the two branches of the budgetary authority agree. The Solidarity Fund regulation does not, however, allow the amount to be raised once the grant has been made available.