WRITTEN QUESTION E-1309/01 by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Position regarding the water-treatment plants in Molina de Segura (Murcia, Spain).
Date: 2001-05-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU financing, Region of Murcia, wastewater, water treatment

C 364 E/80

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

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

(18 July 2001)

According to Council Directives 85/337/EECof 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment (1) and 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2), which has modified
Directive 85/337/EEC, Member States are obliged to ensure that, before consent is given, projects likely to
have significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia, of their nature, size or location are made
subject to a requirement for development consent and an assessment with regard to their effects. Projects
covered by the Directive are identified in the annexes.

In the opinion of the Commission, based on the information given by the Honourable Member, the work
to which the question makes reference, a waste treatment plant, could fall within the scope of Directives
85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC, and, in particular, within categories 11c of Annex II of Directive 85/337/EEC
(Installations for the disposal of industrial and domestic waste, unless included in Annex I) and/or 11b of
Annex II of Directive 97/11/EC (Installations for the disposal of waste (cid:129) projects not included in Annex I).

impact assessment

to an environmental

Under Directive 85/337/EEC prior to the amendments, projects falling within Annex II are to be made
subject
their
characteristics so require. However, Member States are considered to be obliged to make a pre-assessment
in order to establish whether Annex II projects need to be made subject to an EIA procedure. Under
Directive 85/337/EEC, as modified, for Annex II projects, Member States are obliged to determine through
a case-by-case examination or thresholds or by the setting of criteria whether the project shall be made
subject to an assessment in accordance with Articles 5 to 10.

(EIA) where Member States consider

that

In order to identify the correct Community law to be applied, it is necessary to check when the request for
development consent was submitted to the competent authority: projects whose 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 its 1997 amendment).

The Commission has already opened a complaint file on the project and a letter has been sent to the
Italian authorities to request information on the issue. The Commission will take the appropriate steps in
order to ensure the observance of Community law and in particular of the Directive mentioned.

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

(2001/C 364 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1309/01

by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(3 May 2001)

Subject: Position regarding the water-treatment plants in Molina de Segura (Murcia, Spain)

According to recent press reports, the Commission considers the municipality of Molina de Segura (Murcia,
Spain) to have one of the worst records where sewage treatment is concerned.

At present Molina de Segura has two water-treatment plants, a lagooning plant and a standard plant.
However, there is a problem because the industries which produce the most pollution, in particular the
canning industries, discharge their effluents in Molina, which consequently reach the water-treatment
plants without undergoing any form of pretreatment, whereas the plants are designed only for municipal
sewage and not industrial effluents.

The body that manages the area(cid:146)s waters (Confederac(cid:237)on HidrogrÆfica del Segura) has to date brought nine
actions in all against the companies on account of their irresponsible behaviour, but the companies are
appealing and the Molina de Segura municipal authorities are, in one way or another, concealing their
misdeeds and protecting them.

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/81

In the light of the foregoing:

1. Can the Commission supply further information?

2. Will the Commission continue to countenance this situation by virtue of the new water-treatment
plant which it is to finance, bearing in mind that the plants in question cannot cope with industrial
effluents?

Furthermore, is true, as has been asserted, that the projected new plant will be financed with the aid of
a substantial European contribution?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2001)

The Commission(cid:146)s Decision of 7 March 2001 (1) on sewerage and waste water
in the
Segura catchment area relates primarily to construction of a new urban waste water treatment plant on
the territory of the commune of Molina de Segura at a total cost of € 19 834 000. The Cohesion Fund(cid:146)s
contribution is 80 %, i.e. € 15 867 200.

treatment

The new plant will resolve the problems raised by the Honourable Member, notably discharge of untreated
waste water into the River Segura and the need for better treatment levels in that commune. It will use
both biological and tertiary agents. The tariffs for its use will be proportionate to the pollution caused by
users, notably the area(cid:146)s companies.

The urban waste water Directive (2) requires agglomerations greater in size than 15 000 population
equivalent (p.e.) (3) to have collecting systems installed and at least secondary waste water treatment by
31 December 2000. Under its Article 13(1) biodegradable industrial waste water from plants with a p.e.
bigger than 4 000 in certain sectors, including the meat industry, must before discharge to receiving waters
comply with the prior regulations or specific authorisations of the Member State.

Competent authorities are required (Article 15 of the Directive) to monitor waters receiving discharges
from urban waste water treatment plants or direct discharges as indicated in Article 13.

(1) Decision 2000 ES 16 C PE 005.
(2) Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment (OJ L 135, 30.5.1991).
(3) One (cid:145)population equivalent(cid:146) means the organic biodegradable load having a five-day biochemical oxygen demand

(BOD5) of 60 g per day.

(2001/C 364 E/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1313/01

by Gunilla Carlsson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Tax on wine in Sweden

The Commission previously urged Sweden to reduce the tax on wine. The Swedish Government intended
to comply with this request but, following an agreement between the government and its allied parties in
the Swedish Parliament, the tax will apparently not be reduced.

What measures will the Commission take to persuade Sweden to comply with its request to reduce the tax
on wine?