WRITTEN QUESTION E-2626/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. New ATAC programme and increased pollution in Rome.
Date: 2000-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, air quality, atmosphere, directive (EU), means of public conveyance, motor fuel, noise pollution, pollution control measures, quality standard, road traffic, transport user

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Does not the Commission believe that in view of the particular importance of this project, it would be
appropriate to speed up its completion, with particular
regard to the Lyon-Turin link? Can the
Commission indicate the reasons why the main parties interested in the project have shown such little
desire to hasten its completion?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 2000)

The Commission has always very clearly expressed its support for the combined-transport Lyon-Trieste
high speed train (TGV) project. That support has taken the practical form of Community subsidies (roughly
EUR 120 million) granted to studies for the French, Italian and international parts of the (cid:145)Alpetunnel(cid:146)
European Economic Interest Group (EEIG) since 1993.

Half of the financial support provided by the European budget has been earmarked for the international
section, including the geotechnical studies for the tunnel, which has a cross-frontier base, and for the
major studies of the interoperability between the French and Italian networks.

At the Franco-Italian Summit held in N(cid:239)mes in 1999 the heads of state and government stressed that the
timetable required the EEIG studies to be completed in 2000. The intention, on the basis of those studies,
was to take a political decision concerning the subsequent stages of the project (including the base tunnel).

It should be noted that, for the Torino-Trieste section, where 460 km of new line are planned, the
preparatory work has already begun on the key nodes. Building work on the Torino-Milano and Padova-
Mestre sections is to begin in 2000 and these sections should be operational in 2006.

The Commission attaches the greatest importance to reaching a political agreement on the basis of the
studies already carried out, which would enable the international link to be provided in accordance with
the timetable.

(2000/C 330 E/031)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2626/99

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: New ATAC programme and increased pollution in Rome

Recently the Rome municipal authority and the municipal public transport company (ATAC) have made
several adjustments to the transport programme in the 2nd and 4th municipal districts. The new programme
has been strongly opposed by users of the public transport system, as it means that several bus routes will
be changed; this will lead to a re-routing of traffic onto roads which are unsuitable for such purposes and
hence to an upsurge in air and noise pollution levels. Furthermore, the new ATAC programme makes it far
more complicated to use public transport and forces passengers to take two or three different buses where
previously they would have had to take just one. Journey times have thus been considerably lengthened.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Does it not believe that the above measures are in breach of Directive 96/61/EC (1) on integrated
pollution prevention and control and of Directive 70/220/EEC (2) and subsequent amendments on air
pollution by gases from engines of motor vehicles?

2. Does the increase in pollution which has been registered in several areas not run counter to Directive

82/884/EEC on the limit value for lead in the air?

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3. Does the increase in noise pollution not run counter to Directive 70/157/EEC?

4. Would it not consider it advisable to call on the Rome municipal authority to pursue with greater

diligence a policy encouraging people to use public transport?

5. What is it(cid:146)s general view on the matter?

(1) OJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26.
(2) OJ L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Council Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996 on ambient air quality assessment and management (1)
requires standards to be set for a number of pollutants and requires Member States to assess air quality,
publicise the results and prepare and implement improvement plans for the worst areas. Such plans may
include measures to control motor vehicle traffic that contributes to the breaches of the relevant limit
values. The Directive also includes the general aim of maintaining ambient air quality where it is good and
improving it in other cases. Council Directive 96/61/CE of 24 September 1996, on the other hand, relates
to integrated prevention and control of emissions from fixed installations rather than traffic.

The first of the (cid:145)daughter directives(cid:146) Council Directive 1999/30/EC of 22 April 1999 relating to limit
values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient
air (2) was finally adopted by the Council in April 1999 setting limit values for sulphur dioxide, oxides of
nitrogen, particulate matter (PM10) and lead which are to be met in 2005 or 2010. Further daughter
directives, setting limit values for carbon monoxide and benzene and long-term objectives and target
values for ozone in ambient air have also been proposed by the Commission. Most of these pollutants are
found at their highest concentrations in urban areas and have road transport as a major source. Whilst in
many cases further reductions in emissions from transport may be required in order to meet the air quality
standards, it does not follow that one specific action resulting in an increase in local emissions necessarily
conflicts with the air quality directives.

It is calculated,

European legislation on vehicles and fuels has substantially reduced emissions from road transport
notwithstanding the continued growth in overall traffic.
for example, that with the
adoption of the recent (cid:145)Auto-Oil(cid:146) Directives 98/69/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October
1998 relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and
amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC (3) and Directive 98/70/EC of the Parliament and of the Council
of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive
93/12/EEC (4) polluting emissions from road transport (but not carbon dioxide) will broadly fall by
70-80 % between 1995 and 2010. Breaches of the air quality standards should be much reduced but it is
expected that there will nonetheless be problems of compliance in some European cities and at traffic hot
spots. Better management of the traffic system and promotion of cleaner fuels and technologies and more
sustainable transport modes should in principle form part of the solution. The banning of leaded petrols in
Europe from January 2000 will also contribute significantly to an improvement in urban air quality and
the increased protection of population groups at high exposure risk, in particular children of up to 6 years
of age. However, the lack of preparedness in several Member States, including Italy, means that the leaded
fuels will not be fully banned until 2002 and that the health benefits of the measure will be delayed. This
delay is intended to give those Member States more time in which to inform customers of the availability
of lead replacement additives and reassure them that older cars need not be scrapped.

With respect to the question about noise, reference is made to the motor vehicle exhaust systems
Directive, Council Directive 70/157/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to the permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles (5) that

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It does not, however, apply to
concerns vehicle type approval giving access to the single market.
environmental noise arising from traffic operations. The Commission(cid:146)s work programme for the year
2000 foresees the development of a proposal for a framework directive on noise.

(1) OJ L 296, 21.11.1996.
(2) OJ L 163, 29.6.1999.
(3) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998.
(4) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998.
(5) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970.

(2000/C 330 E/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2636/99

by Hans-Peter Mayer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 January 2000)

Subject: Renewable energy sources (cid:129) the Commission(cid:146)s intentions

In many Member States generating electricity from renewable energy sources attracts national support
measures, e.g. under the German Law on feeding electricity from renewable energies into the public grid.
At the request of the Council and Parliament the Commission has drafted a proposal for a directive on
generating electricity from renewable sources. The draft says that if the share of electricity from renewable
sources in a particular Member State amounts to 5 % of total electricity consumption, with effect from
2010 the internal electricity market should also be opened up to imported electricity generated from
renewable energies from other Member States.

There are two points to be made:

1.

In Germany banks usually make loans for renewable energies for periods of 12 to 15 years. The cut-
off point of 2010 would put a stop to these loans and would mean that small and medium-sized
businesses specialising in renewable sources of energy would face financial difficulties. This would run
entirely counter to the idea of support for renewable energy.

2. At the same time, the EU would be going against its intended reduction in CO2 emissions.

What are the Commission(cid:146)s views on this?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(29 February 2000)

Any Community action with respect to a proposal for a draft directive on electricity from renewable
energy sources must have two aims firstly a significant increase in the level of electricity produced from
renewable energy sources in all Member States, which constitutes a fundamental contribution to the
achievement of commitments undertaken at Kyoto and the indicative objective of doubling the share of
renewable energy from at present 6 % to 12 % of the gross inland energy consumption by 2010 as set out
in the white paper on renewable energy sources, and secondly the progressive inclusion of electricity from
renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market.

Numerous organisations representing the different renewable energy technologies have stressed the need
for regulatory stability as this would reassure the potential investors and the financial institutions on the
viability of the long term investments in plants generating electricity from renewable energy sources. A
directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources would have to take account of the
need to reinforce the regulatory stability concerning the Community legality of the support schemes
applied in the Member States.

The Commission will decide shortly on the future steps with respect to a possible proposal for a draft
directive.