WRITTEN QUESTION E-2288/01 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE), Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE),María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL)to the Commission. Spain's National Hydrological Plan: compliance with EU directives, Structural Funds, irrigation policy and Community funding.
Date: 2001-07-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, EU financing, Spain, Structural Funds, protection of animal life, protection of plant life, water management

C 93 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

proposals will expand by 603,790 hectares (ha)
Community of Aragon, which partly includes the ‘Foz de Sigüés’.

the areas classified as SPAs in the Autonomous

(1) OJ C 235 E, 21.8.2001.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2002/C 93 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2288/01

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE), Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE),
María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL)
to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Spain’s National Hydrological Plan: compliance with EU directives, Structural Funds,

irrigation

policy and Community funding

In its reply to Question E-0003/01 (1) on non-compliance with EU directives and the use of EU funds to
finance projects under Spain’s National Hydrological Plan (NHP), the Commission made the following
statement:
‘The Spanish authorities have presented a framework water-supply strategy with project
selection criteria and an initial list of priority activities for each basin. Sets of projects for individual basins
are now being examined by the Commission with a view to possible co-financing through the Cohesion
Fund during the period 2000-2006 (…). The Commission will ensure that the programmes it co-finances
are implemented in accordance with current legislation and that all activities are consistent and compatible
including environment policy.’ However, the Spanish Government is in the
with Community policy,
process of approving river basin hydrological plans which are not consistent with those policies and is also
asking for funding to finance particular projects.

Will the Commission therefore answer the following questions:

1. Which projects and priority activities for each river basin have been selected by the Spanish

Government with a view to obtaining EU funds?

2. Has the Spanish Government submitted the statutory reports which demonstrate compliance with the

framework directives on water and on habitats and birds, as required under Community law?

3.

If the Spanish authorities request individual funding for projects included in their country’s National
Hydrological Plan (thereby taking them out of the broader context which makes them meaningful),
would the European Union agree to finance such projects?

4. How can the water-management strategy which has been integrated in accordance with the water
framework directive guidelines and which forms part of the 2000-2006 Objective 1 Community
Support Framework for Spain be combined with the water-diversion policy proposed under the
National Hydrological Plan? Does the Commission not think that some form of cooperation could be
brought about between the central government and some of the self-governing regions if structural
measures financed by the EU were to be concentrated in the regions which provide backing for NHP
projects?

5.

Since the Spanish Government has announced a national irrigation plan which is to be very closely
related to the NHP water-diversion strategy, how is the Commission planning to ensure that the
irrigation policy will not lead to a non-rational use of water resources on account of the availability of
diverted water? Does the Commission not think that it would be more logical to rationalise the use of
existing water resources for agricultural purposes and reduce the misuse of water, rather than
supporting a diversion policy?

(1) OJ C 261 E, 18.9.2001, p. 27.

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/99

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2001)

There are two main sources of Community funding for water supply projects in Spain: the Cohesion Fund
and the Structural Funds. The point of departure is that all assisted projects, whether co-financed by the
Union under the Cohesion Fund or the Structural Funds, must comply with Community legislation,
including environmental requirements. In both cases, there is no obligation for the Commission to be
informed of any relationship between individual projects and the existence of a national framework such
as the Spanish National Hydrological Plan.

Under the Cohesion Fund,
the Commission appraises and approves projects or groups of projects
submitted by the Spanish authorities according to their individual merits and in conformity with the
regulations in force. A number of such projects have been approved to-date. Information on such projects
is published on a regular basis by the Commission. Some of the projects may be related to the National
Hydrological Plan but it is only the Spanish authorities who can confirm this. The same applies to any
project currently subject to appraisal by the Commission and for which final approval has yet to be given.

As far as the Structural funds are concerned, interventions are organised around broad strategic priorities
set out in programming documents agreed between the national authorities and the Commission, and
formally approved by the latter. The selection of individual projects for the realisation of the agreed
strategy is the responsibility that is decentralised to the authorities on the ground in the Member States.
the so-called ‘Community Support Framework (CSF)
The strategy for Spanish Objective 1 regions,
2000-2006’, which was agreed in October 2000, contains a priority under the heading ‘Environment,
Natural Environment and Water Resources’. This, together with more detailed operational programmes,
provide the basis for the Spanish authorities to select projects for Community aid relating, for example, to
water supply. The Commission is informed of the selected projects in the context of the monitoring system
set up under the CSF. The Commission is also informed by the national authorities of any major projects
(€ 50 million or more) that are proposed for assistance under the programmes, and these in turn are
subject to an appraisal by the former in conformity with the regulations in force before assistance is
approved. In all cases, it is only the Spanish authorities who can confirm whether or not selected projects
have been included in the National Hydrological Plan.

(2002/C 93 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2289/01

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE), Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE),
María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL)
to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Spain’s National Hydrological Plan: river basin management plans, pressure and impact analysis

and Community funding

In its reply to Question E-0003/01 (1) of 6 April 2001 the Commission stated the following in connection
with the information supplied by the Spanish Government concerning Spain’s National Hydrological Plan:
‘The Plan encompasses the analyses and elements related to the different river basins, but it also constitutes
a global framework for national water policies and actions which goes beyond the meaning of River Basin
Management of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (2).’

With regard to the latter Directive, the implementation of the Plan should comply with the following
mandatory obligations:

(a)

the elaboration of detailed river basin management plans for each entire individual river basin in Spain
by 2009,

(b)

the elaboration of an analysis of pressures and impacts including an economic analysis by 2004.