WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2298/98 by Carles-Alfred GASOLIBA I BÖHM to the Commission. Pollution levels in the river Segura
Date: 1998-07-22
Institutions: European Parliament, GASOLIBA I BOEHM
Subjects: Castile-La Mancha, Community of Valencia, Region of Murcia, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, application of EU law, environmental policy, pollution control measures, pollution of waterways, toxic substance, water treatment

C 118/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.4.1999

(1999/C 118/029)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2298/98

by Carles-Alfred Gas(cid:242)liba i B(cid:246)hm (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Pollution levels in the river Segura

(22 July 1998)

The Segura is a river which flows through the Spanish autonomous communities of Castilla la Mancha,
Murcia and Valencia. By the time it reaches the sea (at Vega Baja, in the Valencia region) its waters are
highly polluted, which has an adverse effect on the environment, agriculture and the quality of life of the
above locality, which is situated in the province of Alacant, in the southern part of the Valencia region.

The Commission has drawn up a directive which requires all the EU Member States to clean up their rivers
by the year 2006. To do this they must ensure that an ecological flow rate of 4000 litres per second is
maintained and they must extend and improve the operation of water treatment plants.

Environmental experts fear that the current pollution levels in the Segura river and the lack of appropriate
installations will make it difficult for the Community directives to be complied with.

Is the Commission aware of the worrying levels of pollution in the river Segura? What action is the
Commission intending to take to ensure compliance with the relevant environmental laws within the
prescribed period (i.e. by 2006)?

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-2094/98 and E-2298/98
given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1998)

Council Directive 91/692/EEC of 23 December 1991 standardizing and rationalizing reports on the
implementation of certain Directives relating to the environment (1) requires sectoral reports from
Member States (which include reporting obligations of 13 water directives) to be delivered with a variety
of information on water quality issues, starting with a first report covering the period 1993-1995.

Spain did not fulfil its reporting obligations with respect to the Segura river catchment. Infringement
proceedings for non-compliance with Directive 91/692/EEC have been launched. Within the framework
of the reporting under Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975 concerning the quality of
bathing water (2), there is information available concerning two bathing areas at Segura river, Calasparra
and Cieza. For 1997, only microbiological parameters do not comply with bathing water requirements.

Regarding nitrate pollution in the Segura, the Commission has received information from the Spanish
authorities indicating that the threshold of 50 milligram per litre was breached several times between 1979
and 1995. Under the requirements of Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the
protection of water against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (3), Spain is obliged to
identify those waters polluted by nitrogen from agricultural sources and to take measures in the river basin
to prevent such pollution. Spain has not taken the necessary measures and therefore the Commission has
brought the matter before the Court of justice.

As to pollution by dangerous substances, the Commission is aware of the problem in Spain relating to the
implementation in practice of Council Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain
dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community (4) and in particular to
the absence of pollution reduction programmes pursuant to Article 7 of this Directive. In the context of
Petition No 334/97 to the Parliament the Commission has received documents which make reference to
acids, soda and waste-water discharges from hospitals, battery production and textile industry within the
Segura river basin. It therefore appears that the pollution in question is caused by various substances of list
II as defined in the Annex of Directive 76/464/EEC. According to Article 7, Member States have to
establish programmes aimed at a reduction of such substances. The failure of Spain to set out such
reduction programmes has already been identified by the Commission. Consequently, the Commission
has opened infringement proceedings pursuant to Article 169 of the EC Treaty which are now pending
before the Court of justice (case C-214/96).