WRITTEN QUESTION E-0321/01 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Antignano cliffs: failure to carry out an environmental impact assessment.
Date: 2001-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Italy, application of EU law, countryside conservation, environmental impact, impact study, tourist infrastructure

C 318 E/32

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

Just exactly what will the temporary protection mechanism consist of?

What measures are planned to support Europe(cid:146)s shipyards until 1 May?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2001)

On 29 November last year the Commission decided that it could propose, if no negotiated solution were
reached with Korea by 1 May, the introduction of a temporary support mechanism pending the outcome
of any action that might be taken by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The Commission is already considering what form such a temporary support mechanism might take. It
would be confined to those segments of the market in which Community shipyards have been directly
affected by distortions in international competition.

Furthermore the TBR investigation under way (1) is to be completed by 1 May so that the Commission can
report to the Council on that day.

This procedure nevertheless gives the Koreans a chance to propose a solution to the problems observed
and may do much to restore world prices to commercially viable levels. The issue was raised by the
Commission at meetings with the Korean ministers of trade and industry on 14 and 15 February this year.

Should bilateral contacts fail to provide a solution acceptable to the Community, the Commission will
apply the guidelines drawn up by it and approved by the Council on 5 December last year.

Moreover, the Community shipbuilding industry continues to benefit, under Council Regulation (EC)
No 1540/98 (2),
(aid for innovation, aid for R & D, regional aid for
modernisation and restructuring aid) to help it adjust to international competition.

from other forms of support

In short, the Commission will continue to use every available means to defend the European industry.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 3286/94 of 22 December 1994 laying down Community procedures in the field of the
common commercial policy in order to ensure the exercise of the Community(cid:146)s rights under international trade
rules, in particular those established under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (OJ L 349, 31.12.1994).
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1540/98 of 29 June 1998 establishing new rules on aid to shipbuilding (OJ L 202,

18.7.1998).

(2001/C 318 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0321/01

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: Antignano cliffs: failure to carry out an environmental impact assessment

Building work has begun without planning permission on a seaside complex in the area of the Antignano
cliffs running along the seashore in the province of Livorno. An announcement of the start of work has
simply been made. Above all, no environmental impact assessment has been carried out.

Given that disfiguring the landscape is a form of vandalism and that the complex may have been financed
with European Union funds, can the Commission:

1.

ascertain exactly how it has been possible for the complex to be built;

2. provide any information it has on the possible sources of funding for the project;

3.

give its overall view on the matter.

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/33

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

(26 April 2001)

Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and
private projects on the environment (1) stipulates that projects likely to have significant effects on the
environment by virtue of their nature, size or location must be made subject to an assessment of their
effects (environmental impact assessment (cid:129) EIA). Classes of projects covered by the Directive are listed in
the two Annexes. Projects listed in Annex I require an EIA procedure. Under Article 4(2), projects of the
their
classes listed in Annex II are made subject
characteristics so require.

to an EIA where Member States consider that

Pursuant to Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2), which modified Directive 85/337/EEC,
Member States are obliged,
through a case-by-case
examination, or through thresholds or criteria they themselves set, whether the project is to be made
subject to an EIA. However, projects for which requests for development consent were submitted to
a competent authority before 14 March 1999 are governed by the provisions of Directive 85/337/EEC
prior to amendment.

for projects listed in Annex II,

to determine,

The project mentioned by the Honourable Member (cid:129) building work on a seaside complex (cid:129) is not
described in sufficient detail to enable the Commission to assess whether it can be considered to fall within
the scope of the abovementioned Directive.

On the basis of the information given by the Honourable Member, given the lack of grounds of complaint
regarding the application of Community law, no breach of that law can be identified at present.

The fact that the Honourable Member does not identify the project makes it difficult to check whether this
seaside complex is receiving any funding. According to information sent by the regional authorities,
a project entitled (cid:145)Bagni Fiume(cid:146) located on the Antignano coast and involving the refurbishment of an
existing establishment appears to have been co-financed on the basis of the single programming document
for Objective 2 during the 1997-1999 programming period.

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

(2001/C 318 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0324/01

by Dagmar Roth-Behrendt (PSE) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: Information on the volume of EU funding flowing to Berlin in 1999 and 2000

Via which projects and Funds, and in what amounts, did Community funds flow to Berlin in 1999 and
2000 (separate figures please):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (cid:129) Guidance and Guarantee
Section

from the European Social Fund (ESF)

from the Community(cid:146)s research programmes

from the Community(cid:146)s energy programmes

from the Community(cid:146)s environmental programmes

from the Community(cid:146)s transport programme

from the Community(cid:146)s education and youth programmes