WRITTEN QUESTION E-0175/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Exchange of letters with the Netherlands concerning the Iron Rhine.
Date: 2002-02-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, environmental protection, exchange of information, nature reserve, rail network, transport infrastructure, tunnel

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/163

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 2002)

With reference to the proposal that has been presented to the Council of Ministers in Italy, known as the
‘Commissione Riggio’ report, the Commission understands that it has not yet been discussed and no date
has been indicated for the possible debate.

The Commission is developing a regulatory framework to reinforce civil aviation safety, principally
through the establishment of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). At present airport safety is not
part of EASA’s responsibility but the Commission intends to address this subject at a later stage through
the possible extension of the scope of EASA’s operations.

(2002/C 172 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0175/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: Exchange of letters with the Netherlands concerning the Iron Rhine

The Iron Rhine is the symbolic name given to the rail
link between the port of Antwerp and the
Ruhrgebiet. Belgium is very keen to see this rail link revived, but the Netherlands seems to be allowing the
project to drag on. Invoking the European Habitats and Birds Directives, Mrs Netelenbos, Netherlands
Minister for Transport and Water Management, is demanding that a tunnel be built to take the line under a
nature reserve near Roermond. The Commission has apparently written to the Belgian authorities
concerned,
its opinion. The Belgian Minister for
Transport acknowledges that she has received such a letter, but her Netherlands counterpart states she has
not been informed.

the Netherlands and Germany informing them of

Is it necessary to build a tunnel under the nature reserve near Roermond, pursuant to the European

1.
Habitats and Birds Directives?

Has the Commission in actual fact written to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands about this

2.
matter?

3.

If so, what was the substance of its letter?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2002)

The nature protection Directives (Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of
wild birds (1) and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats
and of wild fauna and flora (2)) do not give a mandate to the Commission to take decisions,
in the
framework of mitigation of compensation measures related to the effects of infrastructure projects, about
the necessity to build tunnels under any of the sites designated as part of the Natura 2000 network or
belonging to Member States’ own national nature reserves.

The three Member States involved in the Iron Rhine reactivation project (Belgium, Germany, and the
Netherlands) requested a meeting with the Commission to expose their views. This meeting took place in
Brussels on 5 July 2001. At their request, Directorate general Environment sent on 19 September 2001 to
the delegation leaders present at the meeting a written account of the answers it gave to Member States’
questions, with additional remarks about certain points that were discussed and some general observations.

A copy of the letter of 19 September 2001 is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s
Secretariat.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.