WRITTEN QUESTION E-2671/01 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Environmental impact of the extension of Barcelona airport.
Date: 2001-10-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, airport, competence of the Member States, complaint to the Commission, environmental impact, environmental protection, impact study, noise level, town and country planning

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/143

Leaving aside the extremely serious political and legal implications of this statement (cid:22) which, let it be said,
refers solely to the Italian State (cid:22) can the Commission say:

1. whether it considers that in accepting to ‘live with’ the Mafia where public service contracts are

involved, the Italian Government is acting in breach of the relevant Community legislation;

2. how it intends to ensure that tendering procedures for public works contracts in Italy do not bear the
taint of Mafia influence and that any company in the Union is able to take part in the safe knowledge
that its bid can be rejected only on objective and wholly legal grounds?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2001)

The Commission would like to emphasize that it attaches great importance to preventing those linked to
criminal organisations from participating in procedures for the award of public contracts.

In this regard, the Commission would point out that, in Article 46(1) of its proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public
supply, public service and public works contracts, it introduced an obligation aimed at excluding from
participation in the invitation to tender any tenderer who has been the subject of a definitive judgment for
participation in a criminal organisation,
the European
Communities.

for corruption or for financial

fraud against

This proposal follows up the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Tampere in October 1999
and corresponds to the political priorities set out in the action plans to combat organised crime, which
were adopted by the Council in June 1997 and March 2000, and in the Commission Communication of
1997 on the Union’s anti-corruption policy (1).

Moreover, in order to render effective the provision in the above-mentioned Article 46(1), the Commission
intends to propose that a new directive be adopted to introduce a new system of exchange of information
between Member States and European institutions so that the awarding authorities in the Member States
are able to obtain the information necessary to check whether an economic operator should be excluded
from participation in an invitation to tender by reason of a conviction for one of the offences referred to
in the above-mentioned Article 46(1).

In this context, the Commission notes that the Italian Government has always demonstrated its full
commitment to achieving the above-mentioned objectives.

(1) COM(1997) 192.

(2002/C 115 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2671/01

by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Environmental impact of the extension of Barcelona airport

(2 October 2001)

Depana, an association for the defence of the natural heritage, has submitted a large number of complaints
concerning the planned extension of Barcelona airport (El Prat).

This association has been working for several years on an alternative sustainable development plan for the
Llobregat delta. It has now submitted its own alternative proposal concerning extension of the airport and
planning strategy for the surrounding area, in line with the findings of its work over those years and with
a view to minimising the impact of the airport on the area.

C 115 E/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

If this alternative plan is not taken up, a number of special protected areas and habitats of Community
interest could be affected, among them the marinas of I’lla, La Volatería, El Pas de les Vaques and La
Reguera de les Bogues, Can Sabadell and Can Fargues, the El Prat de Llobregat pine-forest, etc.

Is the Commission aware of the existence of this alternative plan, which is visibly more rational from the
sustainable development viewpoint?

Can the Commission confirm whether Community law is being applied correctly in this case, with
particular reference to Directives 92/43/EEC (1)
(wild birds) and 97/11/EC (3)
amending 85/337/EEC (4) on the assessment of the effects of certain projects on the environment?

(habitats), 79/409/EEC (2)

It may be added that in view of the limits set by the future directive on the evaluation and management of
environmental noise, the increased air traffic on the new runways would lead to higher levels of noise
pollution, thus contradicting the objective of the new directive, which is to avoid, prevent or reduce the
harmful public health impact of exposure to environmental noise.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997, p. 5.
(4) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2001)

The Commission is aware of the plan to extend Barcelona airport as it has received several complaints
about it. The Commission and the Spanish authorities have already exchanged letters on the subject and
discussed it at several meetings.

This project must be made subject to an environmental impact assessment under the terms of Council
Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment, as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997.

The plan to extend Barcelona airport will have significant effects on the ‘Delta del Llobregat’ Special
Protection Area (SPA)
the
obligations arising from Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, applicable to SPAs designated under Article 4 of Council
Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds.

the Spanish authorities must

for birds. Consequently,

take into account

The Commission has received a copy of the allegations presented by the association mentioned by the
Honourable Member in connection with the environmental impact assessment for the project.

The environmental
impact assessment for the project is now under way. As the Spanish authorities
maintain that the obligations arising from Council Directive 92/43/EEC will be taken into account, the
Commission cannot at this stage assume that Community law has been infringed.

The proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the assessment and
management of environmental noise (1) aims to entrust the competent authorities in the Member States
with the task of making strategic noise maps in order to assess the exposure of people to noise, inform the
public about noise exposure and its effects and implement action plans to reduce noise exposure and
maintain environmental noise quality where it is good. The new legislation should allow the exposure of
the population to environmental noise to be reduced. However, there are no plans at this stage to set a
Community limit value for environmental noise. The Member States are responsible for setting their own
limit values.

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.