WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3214/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Operating licence for quarry in area protected by Natura 2000
Date: 1998-10-26
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: Greece, countryside conservation, environmental protection, forest conservation, impact study, industrial project, mining operation, protected area, protection of animal life, protection of plant life

C 135/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

(1999/C 135/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3214/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 October 1998)

Subject: Operating licence for quarry in area protected by Natura 2000

Environmental organizations − which have also lodged an appeal with the State Council − claim that the
Ministry of Agriculture has granted an operating licence for a marble quarry on Mt Falakron in the region
of Drama. The Drama Forest Inspectorate has already designated it a protected area because of its
exceptional beauty; it also forms part of the Natura 2000 network as a designated ‘B’ area and there are
indications that it is the site of an ancient settlement.

Will the Commission say:

1. whether the requisite environmental impact assessments have been carried out to take account of all

the environmental effects of operating the quarry, and

2. whether it intends to ask the Greek authorities to revoke their decision in order to preserve the

ecological balance and the exceptional beauty of the area?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 1998)

1.
In the region concerned, a site known as ‘Koryfes Orous Falakro’ under Code GR 1140004, is
contained in the list of sites of Community importance (SCI) put forward by the Greek authorities under
Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1), for inclusion
in the Natura 2000 European ecological network. Under Article 6.3 of that Directive any plan or project
that is likely to have a significant impact on an SCI must be subjected to an appropriate assessment of its
impact in terms of the intentions regarding site conservation. The authorisation decision is subject to the
results of that assessment. However, that site has still not been selected as an SCI.

2.
Nevertheless, the site includes several types of natural habitat and priority species and it should thus
automatically be accepted for the Natura 2000 network in accordance with the Directive’s criteria.
Therefore adequate action must be taken by the Member State concerned in order to avoid any
deterioration of that site with a view to its future designation. On the basis of what has been said above,
the Commission will contact the Greek authorities to order to establish whether the impact studies which
should be conducted in pursuance of Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the impact of certain
public and private projects on the environment (2) have taken sufficient account of the ecological value of
the site concerned by the project in question.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

(1999/C 135/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3215/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 October 1998)

Subject: Data on fires in Greece

Pursuant to Regulation 308/97 on protection of the Community’s forests against fire, the Member States
forward data on the number, extent and duration of fires, etc. to the Commission’s responsible
departments.

This data is considered especially useful for monitoring and evaluating preventive and protective
measures for forests in the Member States, as also indicated in the extremely interesting report entitled
‘Community system of information on forest fires 1985-87’, published by the Commission’s department
responsible for forests.