WRITTEN QUESTION E-3147/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. EU financing of the planning and construction of a motorway through the Kresna gorge nature conservation area in Bulgaria.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Bulgaria, EU financing, motorway, nature reserve, road building

C 174 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

How does the Council view the discrepancy which exists between the rigorous application of the need to
respect certain fundamental rights in the applicant countries, and the blatant failure to observe such rights
in certain Member States such as France and Greece? Does the Council intend to mandate Mr Max Van der
Stoel to draw up a report reviewing and assessing respect for minorities inside the European Union?

Reply

(8 March 2001)

The Council can only endorse the Honourable Member(cid:146)s analysis of the attitude to be taken in regard to
the applicant countries concerning certain fundamental principles and values which are at the basis of the
Union(cid:146)s very existence. Compliance with the political criteria laid down by the Copenhagen European
Council (cid:129) stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect for and
protection of minorities (cid:129) is a pre-condition for any accession and the Union has the necessary means to
verify such compliance on the part of the applicant countries. As is clear from Articles 6 and 7 of the TEU,
moreover, the Union is a community of shared values.

(2001/C 174 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3147/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: EU financing of the planning and construction of a motorway through the Kresna gorge nature

conservation area in Bulgaria

1.
Is the Commission aware of the Bulgarian government(cid:146)s intention to build a motorway through the
valley of the Struma, which flows north to south in Western Bulgaria, to form part of Transeuropean
Corridor No 4 leading from Bulgaria(cid:146)s capital, Sofia, to the Greek port of Thessaloniki? Is the commission
aware that Phare (cross-border cooperation programme) and the European Investment Bank are already
making a contribution to the planning of this road by the Italian firm SPEA Ingeneria Europea?

2.
Is the Commission also aware that the plans for the motorway assume a route through the gorge
north of the city of Kresna rather than the more costly variant of a tunnel outside the Kresna gorge as
advocated by nature and environmental organisations?

3.
Can the Commission confirm that the Kresna gorge is the most important area in Bulgaria for the
protection of unique species of trees, snakes and tortoises which are characteristic of the Balkans and that
because of the great wealth of biodiversity and natural features this area qualifies for inclusion in Natura
2000, the European ecological network, while if this virgin environment is preserved the city of Kresna
can develop as a centre for tourism based on nature, the countryside and health?

4.
Does the Commission agree that road construction and air pollution radically encroaching on the
Kresna gorge and the suburbs of Kresna would not only exceed the economic capability of the city of
Kresna but would also violate the Convention of Bern (in particular Article 4) and (cid:129) following Bulgaria(cid:146)s
accession to the European Union (cid:129) Directives 92/43 and 79/409? Is the Commission therefore prepared
to help prevent natural areas being destroyed and ecological areas being bisected with EU money which
subsequently have to be protected from the time when they form part of EU territory?

In anticipation of Bulgaria(cid:146)s possible accession to the European Union, is the Commission prepared

5.
to work towards a situation where

(a) not only part, but the whole, of the Kresna area with its major natural features is designated an area to

be protected,

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/21

(b)

(c)

the design phase is based on a modified route and/or construction of a tunnel for the motorway so
that no further costs are incurred for a variant which runs counter to the interests of nature and the
environment,

the provision of European financial contributions for the building of the motorway, as intended by the
Bulgarian government under the ISPA, is made conditional on the natural features of the Kresna
gorges being retained and no ecological corridors being destroyed within that area?

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

(22 December 2000)

The Commission is aware that the Bulgarian government intends to build a motorway through the
1.
valley of the Struma as part of Trans-European Corridor No 4. The Commission has approved the Phare
Cross-Border Co-operation (CBC) project E-79 motorway study (BG9803 and BG99404) including the
preparation of a preliminary design, feasibility study and detailed design of the Daskalovo-Kulata section.
The European Investment Bank has not been asked to finance the Struma motorway. To date no request
for additional Community assistance has been made. The Commission undertakes a thorough appraisal of
all projects submitted by the beneficiary countries for ISPA financial assistance to ensure compliance with
the requirements of the appropriate regulations. One of these requirements is for an assessment of
environmental impact of the project similar to the assessment under Council Directive 85/337/EEC of
27 June 1985 (1) amended by Council Directive 97/11/EEC of 3 March 1997 (2). It is within the context of
such an EIA procedure that the environmental sensitivity of areas affected by the construction, including
the Kresna gorge, should be considered.

2.
The Commission will closely follow, especially through its delegation in Sofia, the planning of the
Struma motorway, in order to ensure that the less damaging route for the environment is used, and that
an alternative solution to that presently planned is chosen, if necessary. The Commission will facilitate
meetings and dialogue between the Bulgarian authorities and the Bulgarian environmental non-govern-
mental organisations (NGOs). In this context, the Commission delegation in Sofia organised meetings with
the interested parties (i.e., the mayor of the town of Kresna, representatives of Bulgarian environmental
NGOs, the contractor, the CBC implementing agency and the Roads implementing agency) on 1 and
13 November 2000, during which possible alternative solutions for the location of the motorway were
discussed.

The Commission is well aware of the importance of the Kresna gorge from an environmental point
3.
of view. Different habitat types in the sense of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (3) are present in the Kresna gorge, and plant,
fish, amphibian and reptilian species that fall within the annexes of the Directive live in the Kresna gorge
area. For these reasons, the Commission is undertaking the actions described at point 1 and 2 aiming to
preserve the status quo of this important bio-diversity area.

4. and 5.
network, the Commission would be ready to support such a choice.

Should Bulgaria decide to ask for the inclusion of the Kresna gorge area in the Natura 2000

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.
(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 174 E/020)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3157/00

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(10 October 2000)

Subject: Taxation of online supplies

In June 2000 the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 77/388/
EEC (1) on the treatment for VAT purposes of certain electronically provided services, and a proposal for a
Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) 218/92 (2) on administrative cooperation in the
field of indirect taxation (VAT).