WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Safety problems at Heraklion airport.
Date: 2000-08-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Crete, EU aid, air safety, airport, competence of the Member States, operational programme, transport safety, urban area

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/129

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 2000)

Between 1996 and 1999 commitments in Morocco under
€ 630,29 million, fully in line with the target levels.

the MEDA programme amounted to

However,
completely disbursed. The third and final tranche was paid in December 1999.

the structural adjustment programme worth € 120 million is the only one to have been

The low rate of payments for the other cooperation projects with Morocco is partly due to the length
(5 to 10 years) of typical cooperation projects. Having said that, it is also the result of the slow start-up of
MEDA projects, which is a problem common to all Mediterranean non-member countries, partly due to
the time spent in negotiating the Framework Convention. The situation improved in 1999 and it should be
possible to increase payments from this year. It is clear that the cumbersome Community decision-making
and administrative procedures have also contributed to the delays in the implementation and payment of
MEDA projects.

In Morocco(cid:146)s case statistics show that until now the administrative delays have been attributable to the
Moroccan authorities and the Commission in equal measure.

The Commission(cid:146)s recent decision to reform the management of external assistance aims to address the
Honourable Member(cid:146)s concerns. The reform would focus on the quality of the preparation of operations
financed by the Community budget, while ensuring that an operation will be implemented quickly once
financing has been agreed. This should step up the real rate of absorption.

(2001/C 113 E/131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2600/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Safety problems at Heraklion airport

(1 August 2000)

A peculiar feature of Heraklion airport on Crete is that all landings and take-offs involve low-level flying
over the densely populated district of Alicarnaso, with the result that there is a serious risk of an accident.
At 9,55 p.m. on 9 July 2000, a Russian plane attempted to take off at an exceptionally low level,
damaging several houses and causing panic among residents. Studies were carried out many years ago into
the construction of a safer runway, but no contract for such a project has yet been awarded.

Does the Commission have any information on safety at the above airport? Has it received any application
for Community support for the construction of a new runway at the airport in question? Is it aware of the
reasons why no contract has been awarded to date, and what action will be taken in the future?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

The Commission does not have specific information on safety rules applied at Heraklion Airport and is not
in possession of information indicating that infrastructure features or operating rules applied at this airport
constitute a particular risk or an infringement of international or national rules on air safety.

In the context of the Community Framework 2000-2006 for Greece, the Greek authorities have presented
to the Commission a draft operational programme (cid:145)Railways, Airports, Urban Transport(cid:146) which foresees
the construction of a new runway at Heraklion airport. This draft programme is currently under
negotiation.

C 113 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

The Commission is not in the position to directly answer to the question why no contract has been
awarded to date since the Member State concerned is responsible for implementing these works.

(2001/C 113 E/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2601/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Collapse of a quay at the port of Heraklion, Crete

(1 August 2000)

On 9 July 2000 the western section of quay 2 of the port of Heraklion on Crete collapsed. The
construction of the quay had been financed under the second CSF.

1. Were the works inspected by the special quality control committee, and were any anomalies found?

2. Why did part of the quay collapse, and who is responsible?

3.

Does the port offer safety guarantees for passenger vessels and car ferries docking there?

4. What action will the Commission take in the wake of these events with a view to imposing sanctions
and supervising the reconstruction of the quay?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 October 2000)

The Commission did not part-finance construction of the western section of quay 2 at the port of
Heraklion. Its information is that the port authority itself financed the work.

(2001/C 113 E/133)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2603/00

by Dorette Corbey (PSE) to the Council

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Implementation of the Birds Directive

The European Parliament, represented by its President, Mrs Nicole Fontaine, received in March 2000
around 2,2 million signatures of citizens from all countries of Europe expressing their utmost concern
about the persistence of hunting practices that do not respect the conservation requirement of European
legislation on wild birds.

Does the Council share the view of the European Parliament, expressed before, that one closing date
1.
for the hunting season for all bird species, adapted to the earliest species, would be best to (cid:145)secure a
complete system of protection(cid:146) of wild birds in line with the judgments C-157/89 and C-435/92 of the
European Court of Justice?

Does the Council share the view that one opening date for the hunting season for all bird species,

2.
adapted to the latest species, would be best to ensure complete protection of wild birds?

Does the Council also agree that European wide dates would serve legal certainty, implementation

3.
and enforcement?