WRITTEN QUESTION E-1009/01 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Urgent requirement for a water-treatment plant for Ronda.
Date: 2001-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Andalusia, Cohesion Fund, EU financing, water treatment

C 318 E/180

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

(2001/C 318 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1008/01

by Yasmine Boudjenah (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Ratification of ILO Convention 182

ILO Convention 182 of 17 June 1999 concerns the worst forms of child labour and action to eliminate
them. Can the Commission state which are the EU Member States that have signed and ratified that
Convention?

What action will the Commission take to ensure that ILO Convention 182 is ratified and implemented by
all the Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question E-0299/01 by
Mrs Maij-Weggen (1). According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Denmark, Spain, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland and the United Kingdom have now ratified ILO Convention 182.

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 213.

(2001/C 318 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1009/01

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Urgent requirement for a water-treatment plant for Ronda

(30 March 2001)

Installing a water-treatment plant at Ronda, in the Spanish province of MÆlaga, is essential if the River
Guadiaro is to be cleaned up and if the transfer of water from that river to CÆdiz is to be made safer and
more efficient.

In spite of this, no date has been set for the entry into service of such a treatment plant (for which the
Spanish Government awarded a contract in November of last year), for which reason the river Guadalev(cid:237)n
(the waters of which flow into the Guadiaro) is likely to remain polluted for some time to come.

Since the people of MÆlaga province would like to see this major water-pollution problem solved as
a matter of urgency, could the Commission say exactly when Ronda will have a water-treatment plant and
how much the Community will contribute to the 1 716 billion pesetas which the Spanish Government has
allocated to the project, whose date of entry into service remains a mystery to the inhabitants of the towns
affected?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

On 29 December 2000, the Commission approved Cohesion Fund part-financing for the EDAR project
(Estaci(cid:243)n depuradora de aguas residual) in Ronda (Malaga) (1). Besides the actual construction work on
EDAR, the project will also lengthen the general collector in Ronda and build a connection to channel
waste water from the northern part of the city to the treatment plant.

The project costs (cid:129) 85 % covered by the Community (cid:129) will
construction, equipment, technical assistance and publicity measures.

total € 13 391 000, encompassing

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According to the timetable set by the Spanish government, the plant will be up and running by 2002.

It should also be noted that under the terms of Directive 91/271/EEC (2), all urban areas with a population
equivalent (PE) (3) higher than 15 000 should at the latest by 31 December 2000 have been equipped with
collection and secondary (i.e. biological) treatment systems.

The Commission is currently checking whether all the Community(cid:146)s main urban centres are in compliance
with this Directive and will in the course of 2001 be in a position to initiate infringement proceedings
against any Member States found to have overrun this deadline. As far as Spain is concerned, the
Commission is aware of the delays and will be initiating a general infringement procedure covering all
towns and cities (cid:129) including, as the case may be, Ronda (cid:129) found to be in breach of these obligations.

(1) Decision C(2000) 4319.
(2) Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment (OJ L 135, 30.5.1991).
(3) Unit of measure of organic pollution, representing average pollution produced per person, per day.

(2001/C 318 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1011/01

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Rules governing the minimum number of rooms available in rural-tourism properties

The leaders of the Andalusia Regional Government in Spain have proposed that rules should be laid down
concerning the minimum number of rooms which properties are required to have if they are to qualify as
being suitable for use as rural-tourism accommodation.

This proposal has taken the sector by surprise since in rural areas the characteristics of such properties
vary immensely and cannot be made to fit models which have been defined in advance.

Would the Commission say whether or not rural-tourism properties (such as exist in the various EU
Member States) are required to have a minimum number of rooms in order to be able to provide
accommodation in accordance with the traditional accommodation criteria prevailing in rural areas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

The Commission provides part-financing for regional development programmes in Andalusia, with a large
proportion being earmarked for the development of rural areas.

Measures that may qualify for funding under the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance
and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) include incentives for tourism activities. These take the form of schemes
which must comply with the requirements set out in the operational programme or in the document
known as the (cid:145)programme complement(cid:146) or in mandatory provisions laid down by the authorities
responsible for administering the tourism facilities.

the operational programme and the programme complement

Examination of
reveals no special
requirements regarding tourism activities attracting funding from the EAGGF. The rules referred to by
the Honourable Member must comply with the administrative rules for which the Member State alone has
responsibility.

On the specific question put by the Honourable Member the answer is as follows: the Commission has no
responsibility in this area and accordingly has no information about the minimum number of rooms that
must be available in rural tourism properties in the various Member States if accommodation is to be
provided. This type of information can be obtained direct from the Member States and in some cases from
the regions.