WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1870/98 by José BARROS MOURA to the Commission. Nuclear waste dump on the bank of the Douro close to the border between Portugal and Spain
Date: 1998-06-16
Institutions: BARROS MOURA, European Parliament
Subjects: Spain, environmental impact, environmental protection, ionising radiation, project evaluation, public health, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, storage of waste

C 13/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.1.1999

(1999/C 13/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1734/98

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) and Hon(cid:243)rio Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Construction of a nuclear waste site in AldeadÆvila, Spain

(5 June 1998)

The Spanish Government recently put a proposal to the Senate on setting up a commission to look into the
possibility of building a nuclear waste site in the `vila de la Ribera area. This proposal, like previous projects
along similar lines, caused a public outcry.

There is no doubt that building this dumping ground for nuclear waste would be a highly dangerous undertaking,
given that the proposed site lies in an area rich in granite, pose a grave danger to public health and the
environment, place the regional economy at serious risk, and contravene international standards, given that the
site is less than one hundred kilometres from the border between Spain and Portugal. Can the Commission say
what stance it intends to take on this matter, given that it warrants urgent attention?

(1999/C 13/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1870/98

by JosØ Barros Moura (PSE) to the Commission

(16 June 1998)

Subject: Nuclear waste dump on the bank of the Douro close to the border between Portugal and Spain

The possibility that the Spanish authorities may set up a nuclear waste dump in AldeadÆvila, on the bank of the
Douro close to the Portuguese border, has again been causing alarm among the inhabitants of the region and the
public at large.

The problem does not just have to be dealt with by Spain and Portugal at the bilateral intergovernmental level,
because there is also the European dimension to consider. A waste dump would pose obvious uncontrollable risks
to the environment, the health and life of the people living in the border area, the water quality of the Douro, and
the principal typical products of the region which, from one generation to the next, have been obtained by a
combination of human ingenuity and nature, especially where Portugal is concerned. These very serious dangers
would be contrary to the provisions of the Treaties and secondary legislation on the environment.

1. Does the Commission have any information in its possession to suggest that Spain intends to reactivate plans
that were officially shelved at the end of the 1980s, partly as a result of pressure from the Community
institutions?

2. As guardian of the Treaties, what steps will it take to ensure compliance with EU law?

3. Does it not believe that, by standing up for the requirements of Community law, it would calm public fears

and enhance the EU(cid:146)s prestige?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1734/98 and E-1870/98
given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 1998)

To the best of the Commission(cid:146)s knowledge, Spain has no site-specific plans to construct a new repository for
radioactive waste.

Construction of a facility of the type mentioned by the Honourable Member can only be undertaken once all the
necessary national requirements are met. These must include an environmental impact assessment as described in
Council Directive 85/337/EC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment (1). Included in this is the requirement that the public concerned be given the
opportunity to express its opinion before a project is initiated and also to offer to any other Member State where
the environment is likely to be affected by the project the right to be involved in the assessment.