WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3741/97 by Anita POLLACK to the Commission. EU biodiversity strategy
Date: 1997-11-21
Institutions: European Parliament, POLLACK
Subjects: EU environmental policy, biodiversity, conservation of resources, ecology, ecosystem, environmental protection

C 174/112

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8. 6. 98

Given the above and in view of the fact that Rome City Council has already submitted the final project, which
should be adopted on 4 November 1997, would the Commission not agree that:

1.  Rome  City  Council(cid:146)s  behaviour  constitutes  a  flagrant  breach  of  Community  law,  which  inter  alia  could

jeopardize EIB funding for the project?

2. 

it should take further action vis-a‘-vis Rome City Council, not least in view of the lack of any response from
the Italian authorities?

(1)  OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 1997)

With regard to compliance with Community law on whether a project covered by Annex II to Council Directive
85/337/EEC  of  27  June  1985  on  the  assessment  of  the  effects  of  certain  public  and  private  projects  on  the
environment (1) is or is not required to undergo an environmental impact assessment, which probably covers the
Castel Sant(cid:146)Angelo subway, referred to in this question, the Honourable Member is asked to refer to the answer
given to his Written Question E-3410/97 (2).

As regards the financing of the project by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Honourable Member is asked
to refer to the answer given to his Written Question E-3409/97 (3).

(1)  OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2)  OJ C 158, 25.5.1998, p. 104.
(3)  See page 54.

(98/C 174/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3741/97

by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission

(21 November 1997)

Subject: EU biodiversity strategy

Does the Commission have any plans to identify gaps in existing EU measures and policies to ensure biodiversity
conservation?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(19 december 1997)

As a party to the Convention on biological diversity, the Community has, pursuant to Article 6, the obligation to
prepare a biodiversity strategy.

Furthermore, the Council in its conclusions on 18 December 1995, took the view that with regard to matters
within  the  field  of  its  competence  and  in  close  cooperation  with  its  Member  States,  the  Community  should
prepare  a  Community  strategy  to  identify  gaps  in  the  Community  conservation  policy,  and  to  promote  the
integration  of  conservation  and  sustainable  use  of  biological  diversity  into  the  policies  of  the  Community,
complementary  to  the  strategies,  programmes  and  plans  of  the  Member  States,  in  order  to  ensure  the  full
implementation of this convention.

Consequently,  the  Commission  is  finalizing  a  communication  to  the  Council  and  to  the  Parliament  on  the
Community biodiversity strategy. This strategy will identify gaps in existing Community measures and policies
to ensure biodiversity conservation. The communication is foreseen to be transmitted to the Council and to the
Parliament in early 1998.