WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1736/98 by Kyösti VIRRANKOSKI to the Commission. Natura 2000 - Secrecy about documents in Finland, discussion in the EU
Date: 1998-05-20
Institutions: European Parliament, VIRRANKOSKI
Subjects: European Commission, Finland, dissemination of information, exchange of information, form, kitchen garden, protected area, protection of animal life, protection of plant life, right to information

22.2.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 50/81

(1999/C 50/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1729/98

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: Restructuring of the coal industry

(5 June 1998)

Can the Commission say what type of assistance it intends to provide to the restructuring programme for the coal
industry in Spain, particularly in view of the importance of coal mining in certain regions of that country?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 1998)

Aid for the restructuring programme of the coal industry in Spain is divided into two categories.

Firstly, there is the aid which is the result of State intervention by the Member States on behalf of their coal
industries and which is regulated by Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993 (1). Under these rules, on
3 June 1998 the Commission authorised Spain to grant aid amounting to PTA 438 104 million, the principal
purpose of which was to help solve social and regional problems due to restructuring.

The second type of aid is aimed at regional conversion. When it notified the Commission of its 1998-2002 plan to
modernise, rationalise, restructure and reduce activity in its coal industry, Spain also informed the Commission of
its intention to implement an alternative development plan for its mining areas, the main aim being to promote the
conditions which would make it possible to create new jobs. The Commission cooperates in these plans through
the operational programmes of the Structural Funds and through RECHAR.

(1) OJ L 329, 30.12.1993.

(1999/C 50/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1736/98

by Ky(cid:246)sti Virrankoski (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 May 1998)

Subject: Natura 2000 › Secrecy about documents in Finland, discussion in the EU

In Finland the list of areas for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network is currently being drawn up. Maps have been
issued of the areas, which show only the outlines, for example, sometimes not even that and rivers. In addition,
general explanations have been given to provincial groups in the case of local authorities and landowners
concerning the natural resources of the areas and ideas for their protection.

The Commission calls for information to be provided about each area on a special Natura 2000 form, which sets
out the basis on which each area is to be included in the protection programme.

These forms require information for each type of habitat regarding inter alia its borders, its representativeness of
the region in question and its area relative to the area which this habitat occupies in the country as a whole. For
species of animals and plants the size of the population must be stated and its density in the area in relation to the
population of the species in the country as a whole.

However, the Finnish authorities have not disclosed these forms either to provincial or local authorities or to
landowners, even though these are required to familiarize themselves with the matter and even issue an opinion
on it. None of this basic information is contained in the documents published.

In particular landowners are unaware why there are plans to protect their land, since the protection programme
also includes the gardens of private houses. Although the deputy Chancellor of Justice stipulated in his decision
that sites of the type of the habitats set out in the information form must be declared, there has been a great deal of
reluctance and dilatoriness in doing this.