WRITTEN QUESTION E-1560/01 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Recognition of the Dolomites as part of the World Heritage.
Date: 2001-05-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Alpine Region, Unesco, competence of the Member States, environmental protection, heritage protection

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/147

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.