WRITTEN QUESTION E-3602/01 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Funding for water-treatment plants in more than 200 Andalusian villages.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Andalusia, financing method, wastewater, water treatment

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/95

If the ongoing assessment confirms that the Netherlands has not taken the measures necessary to comply
with the reasoned opinion issued by the Commission, the latter will consider whether this case should be
brought before the Court of Justice.

(1) OJ L 216, 3.8.1991.
(2) Point 10(e) of Annex II to Council Directive 85/337/EEC.

(2002/C 172 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3602/01

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Funding for water-treatment plants in more than 200 Andalusian villages

Around 200 villages in Andalusia, Spain, representing around 30 % of Andalusia’s total population, are
seeing the 2005 deadline for waste water treatment approach without work having been started on the
necessary facilities.

Work on these facilities has been blocked until now by the lack of funds available to local councils, and
little is being done at regional level other than seeking formulae which might make it possible to meet the
2005 commitment laid down by the EU.

Can the Commission offer any ideas regarding schemes used in other parts of the Community in order to
tackle the issue of funding for water treatment plants, with a view to removing the obstacles affecting
Andalusian councils in general and speeding up the construction of the installations required in line with
the Community commitment?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2002)

Possibilities for financing water-treatment plants vary from one Member State to another as they depend
on whether or not the regions concerned are eligible for objective 1 of the Structural Funds or whether or
not the Member State is a member of the Cohesion Fund.

Furthermore, the Commission has provided for a Community framework for State aid for protection of the
environment (1). This ‘public-private partnership’
(PPP) enables private undertakings to receive public
concessions for both the construction and the operation of water-treatment plants.

Andalusia is able to benefit both from a PPP and from co-funding under the Structural Funds and the
Cohesion Fund. For both these funds, the Commission would point out that the choice of individual
projects is always at the discretion of the regional and national authorities.

For the Structural Funds, cofunding can be requested under the third priority ‘Environment, natural
framework for Spain during the
surroundings and water
programming period 2000-2006. About 15 % of projects currently being cofinanced for Spain concern
this measure.

the Community support

resources’ of

With regard to the Cohesion Fund, waste-water treatment, water supply and waste treatment are priorities
currently being undertaken. However, this does not ensure that the proposed investments will completely
fill all current gaps and deficiencies in this area. In this context it has to be mentioned that gaps still exist
in Spain regarding waste-water treatment
facilities for large agglomerations. As deadlines for these
agglomerations (in sensitive areas with more than 10 000 population equivalent (p.e.) and in normal areas
it is at present a major priority to support these
with more than 15 000 p.e.) have already expired,
projects, rather than projects for agglomerations with less 10 000 p.e., which will have to set up a
treatment plant by 2005.

(1) OJ C 37, 3.2.2001.