WRITTEN QUESTION E-3967/00 by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Environmental degradation of the Hondo Nature Reserve, Alicante, Spain.
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Spain, environmental protection, nature reserve, protected area, protection of animal life, soil pollution, water pollution, wildlife

C 187 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

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

(28 February 2001)

The Commission did not have any information about the project denounced by the Honourable Member.
On the basis of the information forwarded, the Commission will write to the Greek authorities and ask for
details about the impact assessment procedure followed for the project in question.

As far as infringement procedures initiated against Greece are concerned, noting that measures to
transpose Directive 97/11/EC (1) were not forthcoming in Greece, the Commission brought the matter
before the Court of Justice on 11 October 2000 (case C 2000/374). In addition, considering that the
national implementing measures transposing Directive 85/337/EEC (2) in Greece did not comply with the
Directive, the Commission initiated an infringement procedure in 1993. The Commission had however to
re-examine the objections it had raised in this procedure following improvements made by the Greek
authorities in implementing this Directive in the 1990s. Following a new assessment, the Commission has
found that some points in the Greek law still do not comply with certain provisions of the Directive and
has decided to bring the matter before the Court of Justice.

(1) Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of

certain public and private projects on the environment (OJ L 73, 14.3.1997).

(2) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private

projects on the environment (OJ L 175, 5.7.1985).

(2001/C 187 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3967/00

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Environmental degradation of the Hondo Nature Reserve, Alicante, Spain

The Hondo Nature Reserve ((cid:145)Parque Natural del Hondo(cid:146)) is a wetland area located in the province of
Alicante, Spain. This area, which is protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, has been included
in the Natura 2000 network under Directive 92/43/EEC (1), and has been declared an area of (cid:145)Special Bird
Protection(cid:146) under Directive 79/409/EEC (2).

Despite these protection arrangements, the area is seriously affected by soil and water pollution. In the last
few years, especially since 1997, thousands of birds of protected species,
including the (cid:145)Flag Species(cid:146)
Marmaronetta angustrirostris and Oxyura leucocephala, have died (1545 in 1999) as a result of the heavily
contaminated water of the Segura River that flows into the Hondo Reserve. The Segura river water
currently contains extremely high levels of heavy metals (cid:129) lead, chrome and cadmium (cid:129) as well as
dangerous levels of insecticides, herbicides and other pathogenic micro-organisms, according to recent
independent studies carried out by the University of Miguel HernÆndez (Alicante) and the University of
Murcia (3).

Very little has been done to date by local and regional authorities to improve this situation and avoid the
destruction of the Reserve(cid:146)s fauna.

What measures has the Commission taken to ensure compliance with the Birds and the Habitat Directives
in order to guarantee the protection of the environment, and of the fauna and flora of the Hondo Nature
Reserve?

Can the Commission confirm that the competent regional government, the (cid:145)Generalitat Valenciana(cid:146), has
already received EU funding to protect the Hondo Reserve? If so, from which European programme or
fund? Has the Commission assessed whether that funding has been properly used? If not properly used,
will the Commission request financial compensation?

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(3) See Universitas Miguel Hernandez, Divisi(cid:243)n de edafolog(cid:237)a y qu(cid:237)mica agr(cid:237)cola, Informe sobre la contaminaci(cid:243)n del
r(cid:237)o Segura, 22 March 1999; Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de ecolog(cid:237)a e hidrolog(cid:237)a, Informe sobre la
contaminaci(cid:243)n de las aguas del r(cid:237)o Segura (Vega Baja), 19 July 2000.

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/93

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

(1 March 2001)

The (cid:145)El Hondo(cid:146) area in question has been classified as a special protection area (SPA) for birds in pursuance
of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the protection of wild birds. It is also a natural
habitat of Community interest (NHCI) under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

The area provides a habitat for 70 % of the European population of Marmaronetta angustirrostris. In order
to contribute to the protection of the environment the Commission is jointly financing two LIFE-Nature
projects in the area: the first relates to the first and second phases of the action programme to conserve
El Hondo and Pego-Oliva, for which its financial involvement is € 4 164 million, or in other words 75 % of
the total cost; the second concerns the conservation of Marmaronetta angustirrostris, for which the
Community(cid:146)s financial involvement is € 297 435, or in other words 50 % of the total cost.

The aim of this latter project is to ensure that this species is conserved in Valencia, and more especially
El Hondo, the Community(cid:146)s most important habitat for said species.

The monthly monitoring in the area in question should enable the various human activities (shooting,
fishing, tourism) to be adapted in the best possible way to the conservation of the species present.

The El Rinc(cid:243)n property, bought as part of the first LIFE project has been restored and should become
a habitat of great importance to the long-term conservation of the species present in the area. Since that
property will be managed by the administration (ban on shooting, regulated access) and possesses the
freshwater resources needed in order suitably to manage the water levels, it is highly probable that it will,
in future, become one of the most important parts of the SPA in terms of Marmaronetta angustirrostris
and Oxyura leucocephala reproduction.

Moreover, the Valencia Administration has implemented SPA forms of management at El Hondo (some of
which have been jointly financed under the LIFE-Nature project) which have enabled the number of
nesting pairs of both species to increase very considerably in recent years: in the case of Marmaronetta
angustirrostris, for example, the number has changed from 46 pairs in 1996 to 91 in 1997, and finally to
164 in 1998. The data for 1999 show that this species is reproducing less because of the poor quality of
the water in this wetland.

The action taken by the area manager (a ban on shooting over a major part of the SPA, land purchase in
order to restore the habitat, monitoring, etc.) have enabled the Marmaronetta angustirrostris population to
increase very significantly.

It is true, as regards the water and problems connected with species mortality, that two epidemics have
broken out in recent years, probably because of the poor quality of the water in this wetland. It must not
be forgotten that this is a lagoon used to store irrigation water from the mouth of the Segura, which is
water of very low quality. This problem will only be solved when alternative, better-quality, water
resources are available. However, since that river(cid:146)s basin is very heavily in deficit it seems very difficult to
imagine that a solution will be found in the near future.

In both cases the authorities responsible for managing the SPA have taken what action they can in order
to reduce the effects of those epidemics (corpse collection and incineration, relevant analyses, population
monitoring etc.).

So far the projects have operated well and the recipient has shown a real interest in completing all of the
work.

Moreover, in more general terms, it must be pointed out that, on 24 November 2000, the Commission
approved a national rural development programme concerning the concomitant activities covering
€ 2 223 million to be paid from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF). This
programme, to apply nationally, includes, in particular, agri-environmental activities intended to grant aid

C 187 E/94

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

to farmers applying agricultural production practices that are particularly favourable towards the environ-
ment. These include measures that are intended to reduce pesticide and fertiliser presence, used crops for
the protection of flora and fauna more widely and withdraw land from production in order to create
reserved sectors which may help to improve the protection of the environment, more particularly in the
province of Valencia referred to by the Honourable Member.

(2001/C 187 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3968/00

by Malcolm Harbour (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Fiscal incentives for energy-efficient cars

A new generation of environmentally friendly vehicles using hybrid technologies is now becoming
commercially available. Can the Commission confirm that Member States are free to apply lower VAT
rates or offer other fiscal incentives to encourage consumers to buy these vehicles, given their initially
higher cost than conventional cars?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

VAT law does not currently allow a reduced rate to be applied to such vehicles. Reduced rates are confined
to goods specifically mentioned in the Directive, which do not include the vehicles in question. However,
the new VAT strategy does hold out the possibility, in the medium term, of reviewing and rationalising the
rules and derogations applying to the definition of reduced rates (1). Particular attention will be given to the
use of reduced VAT rates in pursuit of various Community policies (e.g. to help protect the environment,
promote employment, etc.).

Some Member States do offer tax incentives, in the form of lower registration or road taxes, for the new
generation of environmentally friendly vehicles. Such national rules obviously have to comply with the
EC Treaty, and in particular the principle of non-discrimination. Community law governing the emission
requirements for different types of motor vehicles (passenger cars, heavy duty vehicles) specifies the
conditions under which Member States can grant fiscal
incentives to more environmentally advanced
vehicles and to vehicles which comply in advance with future mandatory emission standards (2). Directive
1999/96/EC also introduces the concept of (cid:145)enhanced environmentally friendly vehicles(cid:146) (EEVs), in order to
promote technologies which go beyond future mandatory standards. The Commission is currently
investigating the possibility of either extending the scope of the EEV scheme or of developing a similar
EEV scheme to cover passenger cars.

The Commission is aware of the importance of the issue and will therefore be presenting a communication
later this year on motor vehicle taxation in the Community to start a debate on what can be done at
national and Community level, taking account of the Community(cid:146)s commitments and objective in different
fields, among them the environment.

(1) COM(2000) 348 final (unpublished but available at:http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/publications/offi-

cial_doc/com/taxation/com.htm).

(2) Directive 98/69/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to measures to be taken
against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC (OJ L 350,
the Council of 13 December 1999 on the
28.12.1998); Directive 1999/96/EC of
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous
and particulate pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission of gaseous
pollutants from positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in vehicles and
amending Council Directive 88/77/EEC (OJ L 44, 16.2.2000).

the Parliament and of