WRITTEN QUESTION P-1886/02

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: Felling of beeches in a Site of Community Importance in the Abruzzo national park in Italy

In the summer of 2001 the town council of Pescasseroli ordered the felling of two thousand large beech trees at Monte Ceraso Costa delle Vitelle, which is situated in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national park, all of which is considered as a special protection area, code no IT7120132, under the name Abruzzo National Park (Ministerial Decree of 3 April 2000 listing the special protection areas designated within the meaning of Directive 79/409/EEC(1)).

The locality is classified as a Site of Community Importance in the above-mentioned Ministerial Decree of 3 April 2000 and is included in the list of SICs proposed pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC(2) Code No IT7110050 under the name beechwoods of the Pescasseroli basin.

The trees were felled in order to extend ski slopes and build snow-making machinery, but the work was not authorised by the committee for the conservation of the park (PNALM) and was not mentioned in the agreement between it and the town council concerning the adaptation of the ski slopes.

The management of the park has made arrangements for a survey and a photographic record of the serious environmental damage caused to what is both a special protection area and a Site of Community Importance. Furthermore, a complaint alleging an infringement of Community law has been registered by the General Secretariat of the Commission under file number 2001/5049, SG(2001) A11727.

Is the Commission aware of the situation outlined above? Can it ascertain whether the projects comply with legislation on environmental impact assessment and whether the impact of the work carried out has been evaluated? Does the Commission intend to take appropriate steps, in particular with a view to regenerating the area destroyed?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2002)

Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora provides for the protection of Sites of Community Importance (SCI) which will, according to the procedure laid down by the Directive, be designated as Special Conservation Areas (SCA). These obligations apply to all authorities of the Member States, at national, regional or local level.

In particular, under Article 6, paragraph 3, any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site's conservation objectives.

The above-mentioned provision applies to Sites of Community Importance (SCI) under Directive 92/43/EEC and Special Protection Areas (SPA) under Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds. It is not fully binding for proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI) under Directive 92/43/EEC, these being sites which have been proposed by Member States but not yet included in an official list of sites of Community interest adopted by the Commission. However, in the case of pSCI, Member States have an obligation to act in a way that does not jeopardise the objectives of the Directive and ensure therefore that measures are taken to prevent the deterioration of proposed sites.

Parco nazionale d'Abruzzo IT7120132 is an SPA under Directive 79/409/EEC; Faggete della conca di Pescasseroli IT7110050 is a pSCI under Directive 92/43/EEC. Therefore, they are covered by the above mentioned obligations.

The Commission has already opened an official complaint on the situation mentioned by the Honourable Member and a letter has been sent to the Italian authorities to request information on the issue. The Italian reply is under assessment and the Commission will take appropriate steps in order to ensure the observance of Community law.