WRITTEN QUESTION E-1310/01 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Mugardos regasification plant.
Date: 2001-05-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, application of EU law, dangerous substance, environmental impact, environmental law, environmental protection, environmental risk prevention, health risk, impact study, industrial hazard, industrial pollution, natural gas, power plant

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/117

(2001/C 350 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1306/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 May 2001)

Subject: Foreign exchange charges

Is the Commission satisfied that customers of foreign exchange bureaux in the European Community

1.
are properly made aware of the charges which can be incurred?

2. What measures is it taking to ensure that such offices are competitive and offer value for money to
consumers, particularly in smaller Member States where there may be only a few financial institutions
operating in the market?

Given the very high charges sometimes levied, does it consider that there are grounds for the

3.
regulation of small transactions?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2001)

With regard to informing customers about the charges levied by foreign exchange bureaux, the rules are
different depending on whether or not the Member State is part of the euro zone:

(cid:129) In the Member States belonging to the euro zone, the legislation on the euro applies for the exchange
of notes from the zone. The official exchange rate must be used. The charges levied by exchange
bureaux are shown separately as a percentage or as a fixed amount. There is no Community
legislation, however, with regard to the exchange of non-euro notes.

(cid:129) In the Member States that do not belong to the euro zone, the Community legislation on the euro

does not apply unless the notes that are bought and sold come from the euro zone.

(cid:129) Quite apart from their membership of the euro zone, several Member States have introduced rules so
that charges are displayed to inform consumers before any transaction. At this stage, the Commission
does not think that there is any need for Community harmonisation of laws on informing consumers
in this field.

The Commission would point out to consumers that the use of automatic teller machines (ATMs) in the
Member State of destination may be a less expensive way of obtaining cash.

(2001/C 350 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1310/01

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 May 2001)

Subject: Mugardos regasification plant

Under the plan to use natural gas as a fuel and the conversion to be carried out to that end in the Spanish
energy sector, a number of regasification plants are to be sited on the Spanish coast.

In Mugardos, in the immediate vicinity of the town and close to a residential area with a population of
150 000, the intention is to set up a regasification plant. Experts, the former head of the El Ferrol Port
Authority (dismissed on account of his opposition to the proposed siting of the plant in Mugardos),
fishermen(cid:146)s associations, citizens(cid:146) groups, and environmental NGOs maintain that the plant should not be
built in the place concerned, given the serious dangers to the surrounding population.

C 350 E/118

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

Under Decree RD 2414/1961 of 30 November 1961 (published in the Spanish Official Gazette, BOE No
292 of 7.12.1961) on nuisances and unhealthy, harmful, and dangerous activities, the regasification plant
is classed as a (cid:145)dangerous activity(cid:146) (1). The classification is the same in Royal Decree RD 1254/1999 of
16 July 1999 on measures to control
in serious incidents involving dangerous
the risks inherent
substances (2). Chapter 1, Article 4, of Decree 2414/1961 lays down a general rule to the effect that
manufacturing industries which must be considered dangerous or unhealthy must be sited at a distance not
less than 2 000 metres from the nearest population centre (3). The European standard EN-1473 (May
1997), transposed in Spain in May 1998 as standard UNE-1473, calls for dangerous sites to be analysed,
risk probabilities to be estimated, also taking into account the (cid:145)human factor(cid:146), and theoretical leakage, gas
dispersion, the discharge jet, etc. to be modelled.

A further factor to consider, as stipulated in Article 8 of RD 1254/1999, is the (cid:145)domino effect(cid:146) (whereby
the initial
incident triggers a chain of explosions at other nearby plants where there are dangerous
substances), but this has not been done (4). If an incident were to occur, two installations already in use at
the present time could thus bring about a domino effect, namely the type B and C oil tanks (500 metres
away) and the military arsenal (1 200 metres away).

Given that it would be dangerous to set up a natural gas regasification plant in Mugardos, will the
Commission intervene and, if so, what steps will it take?

Is it acceptable that energy conversion should be carried out without a State plan to ensure compliance
with the most basic safety regulations?

Does the Commission not think that the environmental impact of the plant needs to be assessed?

(2)

(1) According to the above decree, activities are classed as (cid:145)dangerous(cid:146) if their purpose is to manufacture, handle, deal
in, or store products likely to occasion serious risks on account of explosions, combustion, radiation, or other risks
of comparable magnitude to life and property.
In the list of substances set out in Part 1 of Annex 1, the decree refers to highly flammable liquefied gases
(including LPG) and natural gas.
In addition, paragraph 2 of Decree RD 1254/1999 stipulates that land use policies must allow for the need to
maintain the necessary distances between the plants covered by the Decree and residential areas, areas frequented by
the public, and areas of natural interest. As far as existing plants are concerned, they must also provide for the
additional technical measures referred to in Article 5 so as to avert further risks to life.

(3)

(4) Applied to a gas leak of 944 kg per second, assuming class E atmospheric stability and a wind speed of 2 metres per
second, the Pasquill-Gifford pollutant dispersion model produces the following results: (cid:129) The asphyxiation zone
(33 % (0,22 kg per m3)) would extend over a distance of 750 m. Falling within that radius are the type B and C oil
tanks installed last summer by Forestal del AtlÆntico, which have a capacity of 200 000 m3 and are situated 500
metres away (domino effect), and a glue factory. The boundary of the zone also falls just short of Mugardos town
centre, which lies 900 m away. (cid:129) The upper flammability limit (14 % (0,092 kg per m3)) would be reached at
a distance of 1 250 m. Falling within that radius are Mugardos town centre (900 m away), O Seixo (1 200 m away),
and a military arsenal (domino effect), situated 1 200 m away. (cid:129) The lower flammability limit (5 % (0,033 kg per
m3) would be reached at a distance of 2 250 m, i.e. as far as the Magdalena district of El Ferrol as well as the other
places listed above.

(2001/C 350 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1359/01

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

(7 May 2001)

Subject: Health and environmental problems (Mugardos, La Coruæa, Spain)

The firm Forestal del AtlÆntico SA, located in the municipality of Mugardos (La Coruæa, Spain) has been
causing serious problems for the health of residents and damage to the environment for many years.
Atmospheric emissions from the firm concerned are causing irritation to the eyes and nose and extremely
unpleasant smells, thus harming both the public and their environment. Furthermore, the activities carried