WRITTEN QUESTION E-2395/00 by Marie Isler Béguin (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Wetlands conservation at Lo Poyo (Murcia, Spain).
Date: 2000-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Region of Murcia, Spain, Structural Funds, appeal to the Court (EU), financing, humid zone, infringement of EU law, sanction (EU), use of aid

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/87

1. Will the Commission say if it is aware of the content of these letters?

2. What are the grounds for the concerns expressed by the Vice-President of the EIB?

3. What view does it take of this matter?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(6 October 2000)

On the basis of information given by the European Investment Bank (EIB), there was an exchange of letters
in February 1999 between Mr Gennimatas, former EIB Vice president and Dr Jorg Schill, then Chief
executive officer of Athens international airport. This exchange mentioned routine aspects concerning the
airport(cid:146)s construction and operation. At the time, the key issue on which most parties focused was
construction, and operational and business planning was at a relatively early stage.

The EIB considers that since that time, as is to be expected considering the project(cid:146)s good physical
progress, the emphasis has moved increasingly towards the operational and business aspects. In July 2000,
an EIB monitoring mission confirmed that, overall, the project implementation status was fully satisfactory,
and that it should be operational on time and on budget.

The Commission shares the view expressed that the implementation status of the Spata airport project is
today fully satisfactory, and that the project should be operational on time and on budget.

(2001/C 113 E/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2395/00

by Marie Isler BØguin (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Wetlands conservation at Lo Poyo (Murcia, Spain)

(18 July 2000)

Would the Commission answer some questions, following its reply to Question E-0139/00 (1) of 8 March
2000 on the conservation and management of the Lo Poyo wetlands. The Commission said it had
contacted the Spanish authorities about the failure to comply with undertakings given when LIFE funding
(B4-3200/93/775) was awarded for the conservation of Murcian wetlands.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:129) What mistakes or oversights in procedures led to housing development projects that failed to take
account of the importance of this wetland site (cid:129) which is recognised by Directive 79/409/EEC (2) and
the Ramsar Convention (cid:129) and of the fact that, under the directive, the site ought to have been under
supervision as a special protection area?

(cid:129) Can the Commission say whether the housing development projects have received any Community

financing under the Structural Funds?

(cid:129) What type of measures are incumbent upon the Commission if it is to penalise the LIFE beneficiary(cid:146)s
failure to comply with undertakings to protect the site? Is consideration being given to extending these
penalties to the judicial sphere?

(cid:129) Will the Commission press forward with an investigation into the Murcian regional administration(cid:146)s

failure to respond to the Commission(cid:146)s numerous attempts to intervene?

(cid:129) Has the Murcian region been asked for reimbursement of the LIFE funding to protect the site, in view

of its failure to respect legislation and obligations to answer letters?

C 113 E/88

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

(cid:129) What are the time limits for the Commission to take a decision on this case?

(cid:129) What other counter measures against the Murcian region and to protect the site is the Commission

considering next?

(cid:129) Is the Commission aware of planting projects in the Saladres de Guadalent(cid:237)n wetlands, which are also
included in the LIFE project, leading to destruction of the natural vegetation, which in Directive 92/
43/EEC on habitats (3) is said to be of priority interest? What measures does the Commission intend to
take to ensure that the site is restored and the damage neutralised, seeing that the Spanish authorities
have proposed it as a site of Community importance?

(1) OJ C 303 E, 24.10.2000, p. 147.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

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

(3 October 2000)

The Murcia region has received funding under this Life-Nature project but has not answered the letters
requesting further information. The Commission thus feels that it must ask that the Life-Nature funding
provided for that site, and also that for Saladares de Guadalentin, also mentioned by the Honourable
Member, be refunded.

Under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, the Commission
has decided to bring an action against Spain before the Court of Justice as a result of poor implementation
in the Murcia region.

Conversely it is not incumbent upon the Commission to investigate (cid:145)the silences of a regional administra-
tion(cid:146),
(cid:145)shortcomings in the procedures taking place(cid:146) on a specific site or concerning compensation for
damage. The Honourable Member is invited to contact the national authorities responsible for implement-
ing the (cid:145)Nature(cid:146) Directives within their Member States.

The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities concerned for selecting projects and managing
European funding whether the project mentioned by the Honourable Member has been co-financed
under the Structural Funds.

(2001/C 113 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2397/00

by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL), Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE),
Elena Paciotti (PSE) and Giovanni Fava (PSE) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Trade in human organs removed from persons sentenced to death in the People(cid:146)s Republic of

China

In a report from Malaysia published on 15 June 2000 in the International Herald Tribune, the respected
journalist Thomas Fuller describes how in the People(cid:146)s Republic of China trade in organs removed from
young persons sentenced to death and summarily executed is continuing under the most inhuman
conditions and in Malaysia alone more than a thousand patients have travelled to Chinese state clinics
and obtained kidney transplants at prices ranging from USD 10 000 to 12 000. According to Fuller, the
methods used for the executions (cid:129) a pistol shot to the back of the neck (cid:129) makes these transplants
particularly desirable as the organs removed are not damaged. These barbaric practices, which apparently
include choosing the victim and date of an execution to meet the (cid:145)demand(cid:146) for organs, have previously
been documented and condemned by Human Rights Watch, humanitarian organisations and international
bodies. These appalling practices, of which rich European patients have apparently also taken advantage,
were condemned in a European Parliament resolution of 14 May 1998 (Resolution B4-0496/98) (1), which
called on the Commission and Council to make representations to the People(cid:146)s Republic of China with a
view to ending the trade in human organs.