WRITTEN QUESTION E-1553/01 by María Rodríguez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. A thermal power plant to be built in Tordesillas, Spain.
Date: 2001-05-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air quality, application of EU law, energy policy, environmental law, environmental protection, power plant, protected area

C 350 E/186

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

(2001/C 350 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1553/01

by Mar(cid:237)a Rodr(cid:237)guez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: A thermal power plant to be built in Tordesillas, Spain

(28 May 2001)

The American multinational ENRON wants to build an 800 megawatt natural gas and diesel oil power
plant on the outskirts of Tordesillas which, according to data supplied by the company, will release
2 540 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (the main cause of climate change), 2 100 tonnes of nitrogen oxides,
191 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 545 tonnes of carbon monoxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere
every year.

This project is being planned in an Autonomous Region which produces three times more electricity than
it consumes. It is therefore obviously already producing a surplus.

The plant would be located only 2 kilometres from Tordesillas, a town with 8 000 inhabitants, and 5 km
from the only protected natural area in the province of Valladolid (cid:129) the Riberas de Castronuno nature
reserve (cid:129) and only a few kilometres from the vineyards producing wine under the registered designation
of origin (cid:145)Rueda(cid:146).

The EU Renewable Energy White Paper sets a target of 12 % for renewable energy sources. In Spain it is
estimated that if this target is reached by 2010 all the expected increase in demand for electricity would
have to be covered by renewable energy.

If this is true, can the Commission say:

(cid:129) how it can ensure that the aim of replacing conventional energy sources with renewable energy is

achieved in the Member States?

(cid:129) whether there is any Community monitoring system to prevent the Member States from authorising
new power plants which would make it impossible to achieve the 12 % target for renewable energy by
the year 2010?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2001)

In its proposal for a Directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources in the
internal electricity market (1) (2), the Commission proposes a 22 % contribution by renewable energy to the
total electricity consumption. Under Article 8 of the proposed Directive, the Commission would follow-up
and monitor the progress made by Member States to meet their renewable energy objectives. The Council
adopted its common position on the Directive on 23 March 2001. The text of the common position was
approved by the Parliament in second reading on the 4 of July 2001 (2).

(1) OJ C 311, 31.10.2000.
(2) OJ C 142, 15.5.2001.

(2001/C 350 E/202)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1556/01

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Assessment of the PESCA Community initiative

(28 May 2001)

The Community initiative PESCA (1994-1999), with a budget of nearly € 300 million, made it possible to
carry out a series of projects devoted to economic diversification in districts heavily dependent on fishing.
Although the level of implementation was only 53,29 % (€ 159,42 million out of the 299,13 million