WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1714/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Regional protection
Date: 1998-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: Campania, European Environment Agency, civil defence, coastal region, environmental risk prevention, flood, natural hazard, regional development, town and country planning













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91998E1714

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1714/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Regional protection  


Official Journal C 013 , 18/01/1999 P. 0068 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1714/98by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission(29 May 1998)Subject: Regional protectionWith reference to the recent human and environmental disaster in Campania and to my previous Written Questions E-2480/94(1), E-2730/95(2) and E-2731/95(3) and the answers to them and in view of the need to coordinate regional planning policies throughout the EU, since many problems are shared by Member States and in some cases are transnational, does the Commission not agree that there is an urgent need to:1. Request the Environment Agency to draw up hydrogeological surveys of EU territory to identify the areas most at risk?2. Issue proposals, given the restricted powers it currently enjoys, for the Member States to grant it the prerogatives needed to coordinate at least the regional planning programmes linked to regional development projects?3. Immediately insert an amount in the preliminary budget for 1999 to be used for this purpose?4. Coordinate the various civil protection bodies, with policies for cooperation to be drawn up under the "Third Pillar"?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission(10 July 1998)1. The European environment agency is largely a data and information gathering body on the state of the environment. The proposed task would go beyond its current remit, competence and resourcing.2. and 3. The Member States and the Commission are currently involved in preparing a strategic forward-looking document entitled "Outline for the development of Community space" (SDEC) whose aim, in particular, is to develop an integrated view of Europe. That outline, a first draft of which was introduced in June 1997 under the Dutch Presidency contains, in particular, a certain number of political proposals of which certain concern land use, water management and, more generally, the taking into account of natural hazards.It should however be stressed that this - illustrative - outline insists that existing powers be maintained with regard to land use whether at national or regional level, while recommending that these be better incorporated and that cooperation should be expanded.4. Cooperation on civil defence falls within the Community remit, as confirmed by Article 3.t of the EC Treaty. Cooperation on civil defence is thus organised under the first pillar within the Treaty.Against this backdrop the Council adopted, on 19 December 1997, the Community action programme on civil defence(4). One of the projects under that programme is to define the guidelines for preventing disasters. Those guidelines could be followed by all of the Member States in order, as effectively as possible, to prevent the hazards arising, in particular, in mountainous areas such as Campania.(1) OJ C 81, 3.4.1995, p. 37.(2) OJ C 79, 18.3.1996, p. 18.(3) OJ C 79, 18.3.1996, p. 18.(4) Council Decision 98/22/EC of 19 December 1997. OJ L 8, 14.1.1998.