WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1300/97 by Vincenzo VIOLA to the Commission. Transparency and the memorandum submitted to the Commission on the project for the construction of a reservoir on the Rio di Monte Nieddu in Sardinia, Italy
Date: 1997-04-11
Institutions: European Parliament, VIOLA
Subjects: European Regional Development Fund, Sardinia, administrative transparency, engineering structure, environmental impact, environmental protection, hydraulic works, public works, report, technical barriers to trade













EUR-Lex - 91997E1300 - EN






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91997E1300

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1300/97 by Vincenzo VIOLA to the Commission. Transparency and the memorandum submitted to the Commission on the project for the construction of a reservoir on the Rio di Monte Nieddu in Sardinia, Italy  


Official Journal C 060 , 25/02/1998 P. 0017 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1300/97 by Vincenzo Viola (PPE) to the Commission (11 April 1997)Subject: Transparency and the memorandum submitted to the Commission on the project for the construction of a reservoir on the Rio di Monte Nieddu in Sardinia, ItalyIn response to an unsigned memorandum submitted to DG XVI, which has since proved totally unfounded, the commencement of building work on the reservoir on the Rio di Monte Nieddu in Sardinia was postponed for a long period of time, causing major financial losses, jobs losses and further delays in the provision of water to a large part of the island.Does the Commission intend to leave open the possibility of such errors occurring again in future by choosing not to change its internal rule which guarantees anonymity, and thereby impunity, even to those who, as in the case in point, provide wrong information? Is such an attitude in keeping with the much-vaunted policy of transparency?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (9 June 1997)The Community support framework (1994-99) Water Resources operational programme for the Objective 1 regions of Italy provides for the creation of infrastructure to collect, store, transport and distribute water, and of accompanying installations. The programme is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works.In June 1996 the Commission received a complaint regarding the Monti Nieddu dam project. The complaint, which was not anonymous, was lodged by Italian environmental associations, which reported, inter alia, an alleged infringement of Directives 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment ((OJ L 175, 5.7.1985. )) and 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora ((OJ L 206, 22.7.1992. )). On the basis of the precise, factual information it provided, the complaint was registered and the Commission launched an enquiry to determine whether Community environment law had indeed been infringed. In the light of information received from the national and regional Italian authorities, and in particular the dates on which authorisations were granted, the Commission was able to conclude that the project did not contravene the abovementioned Directives. The complaint file was therefore closed.While under way, the Commission's enquiry did not - nor could it - serve to block or delay the commencement of work on the Monti Nieddu reservoir. The Ministry of Public Works, which completed its examination of the project on 9 December 1996, gave the go-ahead for financing by Decree No 25 of 27 December 1996.On 21 March 1997, in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 4258/88, as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2083/93 on the European Regional Development Fund ((OJ L 193, 31.7.1993. )), the same Ministry sent the Commission a request for funding for the dams of the 'Rii Monti Nieddu e Is Canargius', for a total cost of ECU 62 million. The Commission is currently examining the request.