WRITTEN QUESTION E-1574/00 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Land development on Penteli.
Date: 2000-05-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central Greece, EU policy - national policy, Greece, application of the law, competence of the Member States, dividing up of land, forest conservation

C 72 E/78

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

(2001/C 72 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1572/00

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Council

(12 May 2000)

Subject: Public statements by Council officials

Does the Presidency of the Council agree with the statement by Mr de Boissieu, Deputy Secretary-General
of the Council, as reported in The European Voice on 6 April 2000, that, since the Council is a decision-
making body, openness in the manner in which it takes decisions is not a particular priority?

What are the terms of reference for the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council? To whom must he
report in performing his duties?

Is there a code of conduct or are there internal rules governing the public appearances made by officials
from the Council(cid:146)s General Secretariat? If not, why not?

Reply

(18/19 September 2000)

Mr P. de Boissieu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council, appeared before the European Parliament(cid:146)s
Committee on Constitutional Affairs on 3 April 2000 at the invitation of the Committee(cid:146)s Chairman. The
version of Mr de Boissieu(cid:146)s remarks reported in (cid:145)The European Voice(cid:146) of 6 April 2000 binds that
newspaper only. The members of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs who attended the session
heard exactly what Mr de Boissieu said.

Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 207(2) of the EC Treaty, the Council is assisted by a General
Secretariat, under the responsibility of a Secretary-General, High Representative for the common foreign
and security policy who is assisted by a Deputy Secretary-General responsible for the running of the
General Secretariat. The Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General are appointed by the Council
acting unanimously.

Public activities of officials of the Council General Secretariat are governed by the Staff Regulations of
officials of the European Communities, notably Article 12.

(2001/C 72 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1574/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(19 May 2000)

Subject: Land development on Penteli

The WWF and other environmental organisations claim that a draft Presidential Decree is to release
600 hectares of land at Penteli to building firms. In the last five years, Penteli has been swept by fires and
lost more than 50 000 hectares of woodland. 200 of the 600 hectares released for development are forest,
the use of which is prohibited by the Constitution. 90 hectares form part of the Pentelikon, a class A
protected area, and many others were burned down in the fires of 1998. Previous attempts to develop the
area were ruled unconstitutional by the Council of State.

Given that the third Community Support Framework provides a variety of funding to create a well-
balanced environment in Attica, while releasing the land for development will alter the environment to the
detriment of the lives of the inhabitants of the region and the natural heritage of the country, what steps
will the Commission take to persuade the Greek Government to withdraw the draft Presidential Decree and
enforce its own legislation to protect its forests?

6.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/79

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

(19 July 2000)

The Commission has been active in building environmental considerations into all measures to be financed
under the 3rd Community support framework. Particular attention has been paid to the areas forming part
of the Natura 2000 network, i.e. areas that receive protection under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of
2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (1) and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on
the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (2). For these areas an agreement has been
established under which all Member States accept the commitment to finance measures that will not cause
any damage to these areas. When required, Member States will proceed with the designation of additional
areas to the network.

The Commission has not received any official notification of the draft presidential decree aiming to drop
the characterisation of forest areas in Greece. There is also no notification of any complaints about this
draft decree. The area covered by the Pentelikon mountain has not received any characterisation as a
Natura 2000 area and the Commission is not aware of any kind of protection status applied at European
level.

As any land characterised as a forest area is protected in Greece under the Greek Constitution, the
Commission considers that it is for the Council of State to examine all the necessary information in order
to reply on the acceptability of the proposed decree. Bearing in mind that the Pentelikon area does not
form part of the Natura 2000 network site for Greece, the Commission cannot make any effective
suggestion to the Greek State in relation to funds available under the 3rd Community support framework.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 72 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1575/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Relation between mortality rates and air pollution

(23 May 2000)

In reply to my recent question (E-2270/99) (1) concerning ozone levels in Greece, the Commission stated
that the cost-benefit analysis of the proposal showed that benefits were higher than costs. For the first time
in an EU document, tables 9 to 12 of the annex to the explanatory memorandum of the proposal for a
directive on national emission ceilings (COM(1999) 125) (2) give figures which, upon analysis, yield actual
mortality rates.

As these figures are extremely alarming and any conclusions that may be drawn by a non-expert reading
of the document are fraught with risk, will the Commission say:

1. what the probable number of fatalities is in Greece on the basis of which the total benefits were
calculated in tables 9 to 12 of the annex (99/0067 COD) concerning acute and chronic mortality,

2. how the same calculations were made for morbidity, and

3. why two different parameters, VOSL and VOLU, are used?

(1) OJ C 219 E, 1.8.2000, p. 135.
(2) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 34.

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

(10 July 2000)

1.
Tables 10 and 11 of the explanatory memorandum accompanying the proposal for a directive on
national emission ceilings (COM(1999) 125) illustrate the monetised benefits resulting from emission