WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/00 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Pollution of the River Arachthos and the Amvrakikos Gulf.
Date: 2000-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy - national policy, Epirus, gulf, pollution control measures

C 89 E/138

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 July 2000)

The high-speed train (HST) Cordoba-Malaga link is part of the Spanish HST-Trans-European network (TEN)
under the Decision No 1692/96/EC of the Parliament and the Council of 23 July 1996 (1). Therefore,
studies and works concerning this infrastructure project are eligible for Community funding, in particular
for the Cohesion fund and the TEN-budget line B5-700.

The Spanish authorities have requested for the 2000 TEN-budget exercise the financing of 50 % of the
technical studies on the HST-Cordoba-Malaga for a total studies cost of € 12 million. Following the
Commission(cid:146)s proposal, during the last financial committee meeting on 24 May 2000, it was decided to
support with € 6 million the technical studies of the project.

The HST Cordoba-Malaga is included in the regional development plan for Spanish regions under
objective 1 and is one of the most emblematic projects to be developed within the programming period
2000-2006 in the region of Andalusia. The project is also scheduled in the Spanish infrastructure plan for
the period 2000-2007. Nevertheless, as the programming documents have not been concluded yet, it is
not possible to determine to which of the different Community structural funds the project will be
presented by the Spanish authorities.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.

(2001/C 89 E/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/00

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(27 June 2000)

Subject: Pollution of the River Arachthos and the Amvrakikos Gulf

In March 2000 the left part of the Imaret irrigation dam in Arta which is 100 metres long collapsed and
the water carried away vast quantities of rubbish which found their way into the Amvrakikos Gulf. There
are fears that the harmful environmental consequences of this incident for the Amvrakikos Gulf will
appear in the summer when it is thought that the organic content of the rubbish will create eutrophication
and asphyxiation as the temperature rises and the flow of fresh water into the Gulf ceases. According to
allegations made by local bodies and inhabitants, the collapse of the dam was caused both by the extensive
and illegal removal of sand and gravel both above and below the dam (cid:129) some 80 000 cubic metres were
removed (cid:129) and the fact that the DEI (Greek Electricity Board) channelled the water at a higher speed at the
main dam on the Arachthos.

Given that the mouth of the River Arachthos forms part of a special protection area (Amvrakikos Gulf)
according to the Commission(cid:146)s answer of 18 March 1998 to my Question E-0231/98, what representa-
tions does the Commission intend to make to the relevant Greek authorities:

1. To take measures to repair the damage to the Imaret dam;

2. To put an end to the flow of rubbish and the dumping of solid waste in the Amvrakikos Gulf;

3. To recommend a special operation to remove the sediment from the Amvrakikos Gulf and to clean up

the bed of the River Arachthos and the Amvrakikos Gulf; and

4. To put an end to the illegal removal of sand and gravel?

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/139

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

(28 July 2000)

The Gulf of Amvrakikos (a site of Community significance proposed in accordance with Council Directive
92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1), and a
special protection area classified in accordance with Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the
conservation of wild birds (2) is covered by a LIFE-Nature project, the aim of which is to conserve and
manage its wetlands. Against this backdrop the Commission was informed by the recipient of the project
(the Amvrakikos Development Company (cid:129) Etanam) of the incident described by the Honourable Member,
and of the potential
impact on the area referred to above, which includes the mouth of the River
Arachthos.

According to that information the refuse carried away by the water (and above all the remains of plastic
bags, but also glass and metals) came from an old unauthorised tip on the banks of the river, which had
been abandoned 15 years ago. The expert assessments carried out following the incident, under the
responsibility of the Etanam,
including measures of physical-chemical parameters (dilute oxygen, pH,
temperature) and microbiological analyses of the water upstream of the collapsed dam and in the Gulf,
show that the refuse had already decomposed and thus was free of any organic loading; therefore there
was no risk of eutrophication of the water, which has also been considered suitable for bathing.

The tipping of refuse has now ceased and the damage caused to the Imaret dam has been repaired.
The banks of the river and Gulf have been cleaned, using the allocations granted by the region of Epirus.
An operation to clean up the bed of the river and Gulf in order to remove the refuse (snagged remains of
plastic) has been examined by the Etanam in view of the technical difficulties to be overcome. Moreover
the Etanam has taken action, together with the local municipalities, in order to set up machinery for
avoiding incidences of Gulf pollution in the future.

The avoidance and stopping of illegal activities devolves upon the national authorities. However, as part of
the abovementioned LIFE project, the Commission will ensure that the clean up operations are completed
and that the ecosystem in the Gulf of Amvrakikos is protected effectively.

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

(2001/C 89 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2049/00

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(27 June 2000)

Subject: Ban on the use of mobile phones during flights

According to an article in the British magazine (cid:145)Flight(cid:146), the British Civil Aviation administration has carried
out a detailed and exhaustive study of the consequences of the use of mobile phones on board aircraft. The
findings of this study are that mobile phones definitely have adverse consequences for the operation of the
electronic instruments and cause various kinds of interference (both when passengers make and receive
calls) and that for safety reasons measures should be taken to impose a complete ban on mobiles both
during flights and when aircraft are on the ground.

Does the Commission intend to promote an initiative of this kind as a matter of urgency in order to
ensure the greatest possible safety of flights from this point of view? Will it also say whether it might be
useful to organise and coordinate a public opinion campaign to make the travelling public aware of this
issue?