WRITTEN QUESTION E-1555/01 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: EU environmental policy, Spain, environmental impact, environmental protection, impact study, power plant, protected area, reduction of gas emissions

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instance the case, when new efficient power plants driven by less Carbondioxide (CO2) intensive fuels (e.g.
gas) replace old inefficient power plants driven by coal, which is relatively CO2 intensive (so called fuel
switch effect). It should be noted that under community legislation relating to large combustion plants,
currently under revision, power plants have to meet emission standards in relation to emissions of e.g.
sulphur emissions (SO2), nitrogenoxides (NOX).

In order to establish a continuous surveillance of Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions
Council Decision 1999/296/EC of 26 April 1999 amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring
mechanism of Community CO2 and other greenhouse emissions (1), is in force.

This decision obliges the Member States to report their greenhouse gas emissions and their policies and
measures annually to the Commission and request the Commission to assess these data and to give annual
progress reports presenting the results of this evaluation process,
including the actual and projected
progress of Member States.

The Commission not only calls for necessary decisions and an efficient implementation of additional
policies and measures by Member States that enable the Community to meet the agreed greenhouse gas
reduction targets, but started to develop proposals for new common and co-ordinated policies and
measures as well.

The European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) has just come forward with its report available under
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/eccp.htm.

This will be followed by a Communication later this year, which will present the concrete proposals for
further common and co-ordinated policies and measures against climate change.

(1) OJ L 117, 5.5.1999.

(2001/C 364 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1555/01

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).

According to the proposal presented by the company, the volume of water from the river Duero needed to
cool the power plant, 0,42 m3/s, will seriously upset the river(cid:146)s ecosystem, since some years the volume
during the low-water period is only 3 m3/s and barely covers its ecological flow. This will inevitably cause
serious damage to the wetlands of Riberas de Castronuæo, which is classified as a nature reserve. In view of

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its environmental importance, particularly for birds, part of this area has been declared a special bird
protection zone, which it is proposed to include in the Natura 2000 network.

Can the Commission ensure that there is a specific environmental
impact study taking account of
protection and measures to be adopted to safeguard and prevent damage to an ecosystem which is being
incorporated in the Natura 2000 network?

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

(24 July 2001)

The Commission is not aware of the facts referred to by the Honourable Member. However, it has verified
that the area in question is SPA ES4180017 (cid:129) Riberas de Castronuæo, which is classified as a Special
Protection Area for Birds (SPA) under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation
of wild birds (1) (the Birds Directive). It is also a site of Community importance (SCI ES4180017 (cid:129) Riberas
de Castronuæo) in accordance with Council Directive 92/43/CEE of 22 May 1992 (2) on the conservation
of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

It should be mentioned that the Province of Valladolid (Castile-Leon) contains 3 SCIs to be added to the
Natura 2000 network in that Province.

The Commission will be contacting the Spanish authorities to ask them to send it the environmental
impact statement adopted before the final go-ahead was given for the project.

When the Commission receives a reply, it will be in a position to say whether Community legislation has
been complied with in this particular case.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 364 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1560/01

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Recognition of the Dolomites as part of the World Heritage

Unesco is currently considering the inclusion of the Alps in the World Heritage list.

Can the Commission say whether it intends to give further support to this initiative in view of the fact that
the Alpine region covers a number of the Member States and therefore official support by the Commission
would in any event be justified?

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

(23 July 2001)

The Commission would welcome the inclusion of the Alps in the World Heritage List under the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco(cid:146)s) 1972 Convention for the Protection of
the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Such inclusion would indeed constitute a global recognition of
the importance of the Alps as a prime natural resource, which deserves to benefit from the protection and
the advantages such inclusion brings about.

As the Community is not a party to the World Heritage Convention, the request to include the Alps would
benefit most from appropriate official support by those Member States which are directly affected.