WRITTEN QUESTION E-3674/01 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Waste water treatment plants.
Date: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, infringement procedure (EU), protected area, quality of the environment, sensitive area, wastewater, water treatment

C 205 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

(2002/C 205 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3674/01

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Waste water treatment plants

In its answer to my question No E-3646/00 (1), the Commission states that almost none of the 40 urban
areas in Greece which discharge their waste water into sensitive areas and should therefore have been
provided with appropriate collecting and treatment systems by 31 December 1998 had, by that date, met
the requirements of Directive 91/271/EEC (2).

The Commission:

1. Will it say how many areas in Greece experience problems associated with the presence and operation

of waste water treatment plants? Which areas are they?

2. Have the competent Greek authorities submitted new requests for joint funding of works to resolve
the problems produced in waste water treatment plants and, if so, does the Commission intend to
approve those requests?

3. Does the Commission intend to initiate infringement proceedings against Greece in respect of all the

urban areas which have not met the requirements of the above Directive?

(1) OJ C 261 E, 18.9.2001, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2002)

On 21 November 2001, the Commission adopted its second report on the ‘Implementation of
1.
Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment, as amended by
Commission Directive 98/15/EC of 27 February 1998’ (1), which is
related to the deadline of
31 December 1998.
includes inputs from Member States up to 15 February 2001 and contains
information on the identification of sensitive areas, on urban areas discharging their waste water into
sensitive areas and on waste water treatment in cities.

It

In their first letter in June 2000, the Greek authorities indicated that 33 urban areas with a population
equivalent of more than 10 000 are situated in the catchment area of a sensitive area and required tertiary
treatment on 31 December 1998. In their second letter in January 2001, they specified that only 16 urban
areas have to be taken into consideration. When the deadline of 31 December 1998 expired, only 4 of the
16 (33) cities were in conformity.

Detailed information on whether or not areas/cities are in compliance with the Directive will be published
in the Commission’s report on the implementation of Council Directive 91/271/EEC in due course
(probably March 2002).

In 2001, the Greek authorities submitted a number of requests for Cohesion Fund cofinancing of

2.
waste water treatment plants, most of which have been the subject of a Commission Decision.

Similar projects on a smaller scale can be cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
under regional programmes. These projects are not the subject of a specific application to the Commission
but are managed nationally.

The Commission has agreed with the Greek authorities on checking the planning of environmental
projects cofinanced under the two Funds in order to speed up the completion of those which are most
urgent.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/53

The Commission has already initiated three individual infringement procedures against Greece for
3.
failure to comply with Council Directive 91/271/EEC. These infringements concern the cities of Athens,
Elefsina and Thessaloniki.

The Commission continues to follow the implementation process in all Member States, including Greece. It
will take all necessary measures, including action under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, to ensure that the
provisions of the Directive 91/271/EEC are applied.

(1) COM(2001) 685 final.

(2002/C 205 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3676/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Bypass in the region of Pirgoi Thermis, Lesbos

(17 January 2002)

In the rural area of Pirgoi Thermis, a new bypass has been opened which links to the ‘old’ road by means
of a vast interchange built by improvising a succession of changes to the original plans. The bypass and
the interchange involved huge excavation of earth which was removed by thousands of trucks and then
replaced with soil brought in from distant sites. Furthermore, the interchange and the bypass have been
elevated up to 1,60 metres above natural ground level and the link with and extension of the old road by
erecting walls which also required further expensive landfill. The construction is reminiscent of a fortress
wall and is the butt of the local community’s scorn and indignation. Finally, the general destruction of the
natural, historical and architectural environment gives the impression of a completely arbitrary and
improvised work of construction.

Since these works are financed by the Community Support Framework, will the Commission say:

1. whether the vast expense of these works is justified by the actual need for a road link in the area,

2. whether the alterations to the original plans and (probably arbitrary) departures therefrom have been

checked and approved,

3. whether a final environmental impact assessment has been carried out with provision for lighting and

draining of rainwater after the construction of the fortress wall-cum-road,

4. whether the Commission has been kept informed from the start through to completion of the works

on compliance with national and Community law, and

5. whether there will be on-site inspection of the works before they are taken over by the client?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2002)

The project mentioned by the Honourable Member was co-financed by the European Regional
Development Fund under the Community Initiative (CI) Interreg, during the programming period 1994-
1999.

According to the information received from the Greek authorities:

1.

the proposal for this project, including its physical and economic scope and information regarding the
approval by the Greek authorities of all necessary studies (such as the environmental
impact
assessment study and the approved environmental terms), were submitted, as provided by procedural
rules, to the CI Monitoring Committee.