WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2840/98 by Carmen DÍEZ DE RIVERA ICAZA to the Commission. Caulerpa taxifolia seaweed
Date: 1998-09-28
Institutions: DIEZ DE RIVERA ICAZA, European Parliament
Subjects: EU programme, Mediterranean Sea, algae, ecological balance, exchange of information, marine pollution, natural disaster, public health, research project, toxic substance

21.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 142/45

(1999/C 142/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2840/98

by Carmen Díez de Rivera Icaza (PSE) to the Commission

(28 September 1998)

Subject: Caulerpa taxifolia seaweed

Can the Commission say how the work to extract caulerpa taxifolia seaweed, funded by the Life financial
instrument, has been progressing this year?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 1998)

In 1995 the LIFE instrument accepted a multinational project to monitor the expansion of Caulerpa
Taxifolia in the Mediterranean (and not for its extraction). This was coordinated by the French scientific
body known as the Posidonie Scientific Interest Group (SIG).

Up to 50 % of that project involving a total eligible cost of ECU 968 000, is funded by the Community. It
comprises four activities covering the detection and monitoring of newly planted seaweed (public
documents requesting evidence, predictive expansion model, progress reports on that expansion); the
demonstration of seaweederadication techniques using in particular, hot brine, copper ions via electrolysis
and ion-exchange membranes; the identification of caulerpenine decay products and of their possible
accumulation throughout food chains, awareness campaigns directed at the public and decision-makers,
and the training of scientists in Malta, Tunisia and Algeria to recognise and monitor the seaweed.

The project is progressing normally and is intended to end in February 1999. The project co-ordinator
regularly publishes updating documents on their activities and on the expansion of the seaweed.

Of the most recent publications the following are likely to interest the Honourable Member:

− Meinesz A., Cottalorda J.M., Chiaverini D., Cassar N. & Vaugelas J. de, 1998 − Monitoring the
invasion of the Mediterranean by Caulerpa Taxifolia seaweed: situation as at 31 December 1997 −
LEML-UNSA Publ. − 238 pages (in print);

− Boudouresque C.F., Meinesz A. & Gravez V., 1998 − Scientific papers and documents dealing with
the Caulerpa Taxifolia seaweed introduced into the Mediterranean. Tenth edition. GIS Posidonie
publishers, Marseille, Fr − 66 pages.

It is also possible to contact the project co-ordinator direct (Professor C.G. Boudouresque − GIS
Posidonie − Parc scientifique et technique de Luminy − Case 901 − F13288 Marseille cedex 09).

(1999/C 142/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2841/98

by Carlos Carnero González (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 September 1998)

Subject: Undertaking of July 1998 given by the Spanish Ministry for Development to the autonomous

communities on the Madrid-Valladolid high-speed train route involving building a tunnel

According to reports in the El Mundo daily newspaper, on Monday, 27 July the Spanish Ministry for
Development informed the Presidents of the Autonomous Communities of Castilla y León and Galicia that
its preferred option for the Madrid-Valladolid high-speed train project involved building a tunnel more
than 30 kilometres in length under the Sierra de Guadarrama. The ministry announced that it would thus be
issuing a public call for tenders in October to enable the undertakings interested to submit their plans,
undertake an economic and technical viability study and present clear conclusions. The President of the
Community of Madrid expressed satisfaction with the central government’s decision.