WRITTEN QUESTION E-3386/00 by Reinhold Messner (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Environmental impact of the Asti-Cuneo motorway link.
Date: 2000-11-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, Piedmont, environmental impact, infringement of EU law, motorway, road building

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/155

At present, the financial requests that have not been treated by the Commission amount to € 63 million,
of which € 31 million are still blocked on the grounds of the state aids Regulation and € 32 million are
awaiting an examination as to the admissibility of the expenditure in question. These amounts correspond
to the Objective 2 1998 final claim and the 1999 advances for all the objectives requested by the Member
State.

(1) OJ L 142, 14.5.1998.

(2001/C 151 E/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3386/00

by Reinhold Messner (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Environmental impact of the Asti-Cuneo motorway link

(3 November 2000)

Two questions have been put to the Commission on the subject of the Asti-Cuneo motorway link (P-1378/
00 (1) and E-2356-00 (2)). However, in its reply of 14 September 2000 to the latter question (cid:129) E-2356/00
(cid:129) the Commission did not, as requested, address the aspects relating to the controversial matter of the
environmental impact assessment. The Commission is therefore requested to give a further reply, bearing
in mind that the modified Asti-Cuneo motorway project cannot be considered to meet the criteria laid
down for the original project in the environmental impact assessment, as suggested by the Commission in
its reply to the first question (P-1378/00).

The second plan has not, in fact, significantly changed the layout of the motorway link: only 2 kms have
been modified, out of a total of approximately 77 kms which for the most part still run along the banks of
the river Stura, a fast-flowing river that is subject to serious flooding. Inter alia, the Council(cid:146)s approval
of September 1994 was given without an argued justification (cid:129) the requested technical checks by the
Ministry of Public Works were not in fact ever published (cid:129) and on the basis of an incorrect technical
opinion given by an official in the Environment Ministry(cid:146)s secretariat which was inconsistent with the
unfavourable interim opinion delivered by the ministerial committee in the context of the environmental
impact assessment of June 1994. An inquiry into the latter episode is currently in progress in the Italian
Court of Auditors.

Meanwhile, although the Council of State(cid:146)s ruling on the application for suspension of the work which was
turned down by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court in the context of the appeal of 2 December 1995
lodged by the environmental associations is expected by 1 November, work on the most controversial
stretch of the motorway (Massimini-Cuneo) has recently been intensified (3).

Can the Commission state its views on the environmental impact assessment procedure? What measures
does the Commission propose to take in order to relaunch discussion of the Council of Ministers decision
authorising construction of the link despite the negative outcome of the environmental impact assessment?

(1) OJ C 374 E, 28.12.2000, p. 218.
(2) OJ C 81 E, 13.3.2001, p. 190.
(3) The Regional Court has not yet ruled, however, on the merits of the appeal itself.

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

(4 December 2000)

The fact of granting a development consent to a project which has been made subject to an environmental
impact assessment (EIA) procedure, and which has received a negative assessment, does not necessarily
constitute a breach of Community directives on EIA (Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 (1) on
the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment and Council
Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2), amending Directive 85/337/EEC).

The Commission has the task of ensuring the correct application of Community law, in the light of the
powers conferred on it by the EC Treaty. As the guardian of the EC Treaty, it does not hesitate to take all
necessary measures,
the
EC Treaty, in order to ensure the observance of Community law.

including infringement proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of

C 151 E/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

the
In the specific case, not being aware of
Commission will take the appropriate steps in order to gather detailed information about it and to ensure
the observance of Community law.

the situation described by the Honourable Member,

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

(2001/C 151 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3388/00

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: New aid scheme for coal with effect from 2002

(25 October 2000)

At the (cid:145)coal(cid:146) seminar held on 17 October in Brussels and organised by the ECSC Advisory Committee, the
Commissioner responsible for energy and transport stated that, once the ECSC Treaty expires, much of
Community production will be unable to compete with imported coal, for which reason a new aid scheme
is to be proposed with effect from 2002, when the ECSC Treaty expires.

When is the Commission Green Paper on security of supply in respect of the various energy sources due
to be published and what role is it likely to allocate to Community coal?

What are to be the features of the new post-2002 aid scheme?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 November 2000)

The Commission is intending to publish a Green Paper on security of supply before the end of the year
2000. It is planned that this document will present its reflections on the position of coal as part of
Community energy supply after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty.

The Commission will not however be able to define the features of any proposal for a coal aid scheme
until it has drawn conclusions from the discussion which the Green Paper ought to incite.

(2001/C 151 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3390/00

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: State aids in the manufacturing industry

Will the Commission enumerate how many investigations into the provision of State aid to French
manufacturing companies have taken place in the years 1995-2000? Could the Commission also set out
the names of the companies or holding companies concerned and the extent to which they are connected
to the water industries and manufacturing linked to them?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2000)

Between 1 January 1995 and 25 October 2000 the Commission closed 272 investigations into the
provision of state aid to French companies in sectors other than agriculture, fisheries, transport and the