WRITTEN QUESTION E-0836/00 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Environmental damage inflicted on the Danube and neighbouring regions by NATO bombing.
Date: 2000-03-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Western Balkans, man-made disaster, war damage, watercourse

28.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 374 E/167

3.

a)

b)

Average implementation of Poseidom and Poseican programmes, over the last five years were:

Poseidom: supply 70 % (cid:129) other measures 69 % (cid:129) total 70 %

Poseican: supply 98 % (cid:129) other measures 61 % (cid:129) total 86 %.

These outturns (actual expenditure as a percentage of the appropriations provided) are based on budgetary
data. Detailed quantitative data and data for each measure will be presented soon in the Commission
Reports to the Council and to Parliament on the implementation of these programmes.

(1) OJ C 225 E, 8.8.2000, p. 125.

(2000/C 374 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0836/00

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(21 March 2000)

Subject: Environmental damage inflicted on the Danube and neighbouring regions by NATO bombing

The Romanian Minister for the Environment has alleged that the Danube has suffered greater environ-
mental damage from NATO bombing which destroyed bridges, oil refineries and chemicals plants than
from the recent cyanide spill. The environmental, economic and cultural damage to the Danube and the
local population extends beyond Serbia and affects all the regions through which the Danube flows and
will have distressing consequences for many years to come.

Will the Commission say whether it is aware of the extent of the damage and, if so, what measures it
proposes to assist the countries concerned, so that the environment, the economy and the culture of this
sensitive region rapidly recover?

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

(18 April 2000)

During the Kosovo conflict the Commission financed a preliminary assessment of the environmental
impact of the conflict. This was performed by the Regional environment centre (REC) for Central and
Eastern Europe and is available on their Internet site (http://www.rec.org). A further, more detailed
assessment of
the war was performed by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) Balkan Task Force and is also available at their site on the Internet
(http://www.grid.unep.ch). Both reports concluded that the Kosovo conflict did not cause an environmental
catastrophe affecting the Balkan region as a whole.

the environmental consequences of

Looking ahead, the Commission is supporting a regional environmental reconstruction programme in the
framework of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe that will assist in environmental reconstruction
and capacity building across the Balkan Region as a whole.

(2000/C 374 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0841/00

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 March 2000)

Subject: Community legislation on the internal market and its transposition into national legislation

The Commission has correctly pointed out that the transposition of the rules governing the internal
market into the legislation of the Member States is essential if the common market is to function properly.