WRITTEN QUESTION E-0359/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Water shortage in Greece.
Date: 2002-02-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, engineering structure, water management, water resources, water supply

C 205 E/124

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

The normal practice of the German tax authorities is to oblige Austrian enterprises that are not based in
Germany to go through a cumbersome administrative procedure to apply for a separate exemption for
each building project. The extensive additional notification requirements make it considerably more
difficult, particularly for SMEs, to carry out their activities in Germany particularly as, under the dual
taxation agreement and the official assistance agreement between Austria and Germany, the data required
by the German tax authorities could be provided by submitting records that have to be kept in Austria. It
is particularly discriminatory that, under normal administrative practice, enterprises subject to profit tax in
Germany (i.e. all German building firms) can usually obtain an exemption certificate valid for up to three
years and thus have to deal with far less bureaucracy, which gives the German enterprises a competitive
advantage.

Does this practice of the German tax authorities infringe EU law, in the light of the comments by the
Court of Justice in its judgment in the De Coster case?

Reply given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to its reply to written question
E-2875/01 by Ms Plooij-van Gorsel (1) and add the following observations:

6 Direct

taxes are the responsibility of

the Member States, which are required to exercise that
responsibility in accordance with the principle of freedom to provide services guaranteed by Article 49
of the EC Treaty.

6 The purpose here is to combat tax evasion of the type that has occurred in the building industry. The
Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has received a complaint regarding the
legislation in question and is currently examining the dossier. Before the Commission can reply
definitively to the question whether proceedings for Treaty infringement should be brought under
Article 226 of the EC Treaty further investigations are required, including checks on implementing
legislation announced for the Spring.

(1) OJ C 172 E, 18.7.2002, p. 17.

(2002/C 205 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0359/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 February 2002)

Subject: Water shortage in Greece

Greece was recently hit by massive snowfalls, while for more than two and a half months (from early
November 2001 until mid-January 2002), the amount of rain that fell throughout the country was
unprecedented. However, there are strong misgivings that this water was not collected anywhere owing to
a lack of suitable facilities.

Does the Commission know the exact number of major co-funded projects that were carried out in Greece
over the last ten years in order to restrict water shortages? Is the Commission satisfied with Greece’s efforts
to collect water? What is its appraisal of the situation with regard to water shortages in Greece over the
next ten years?

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/125

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Greece has a large number of works to collect run-off water, some of which were part-financed by the
Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund over the first ten years in order to meet the needs of agriculture
and cope with the lack of drinking water. Projects assisted by the Community include the large dam on the
Evinos to supply water to Athens, the Voion dam at Kozani, and those at Lefkoia and Kirgia in the
Prefecture of Drama, at Agia Paraskevi in Kalabaka, the Goumenissa reservoir at Kilkis and a whole series
of artificial lakes and water catchment schemes, particularly on the islands.

According to information from the Greek authorities, the following major projects have begun or are at an
advanced stage of planning: the Piros and Parapiros dams for Patras, the Aposselemis and Potamon dams
in Crete, the Gadouras dam on Rhodes, the Agioneri and Panagiotiko dams in Thessaly, the Vrachos dam
in Kastoria, the Grevena dam and the Achiron dam in Etoloakarnania, the Seta-Manikia dam in Sterea
Ellada, water supply on Corfu, the Arzan-Amatovo dam at Kilkis and restoration of part of the former lake
of Karla in Thessaly.

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that neither water collection nor estimates of a
possible water shortage are matters for which it is responsible. However it should be noted that, under
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for
Community action in the field of water policy (1), the Member States are required to provide data on water
management. This Directive must be transposed into national law no later than 22 December 2003.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2002/C 205 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0373/02

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Public contracts, the Mafia and the Commission

(14 February 2002)

It is worrying that the Commission evades the issue in its answers to previous written questions E-2663/
01 (1) and E-3366/01 (2) on the infringement of Community law in the sphere of public contracts in Italy,
following the statement made by the Italian Minister Mr Lunardi about the need to ‘live with the Mafia’.

Does the Commission not consider Italy’s ‘living with the Mafia’ to be an infringement of Community

1.
law on public contracts?

2. With regard to the public statements made by Mr Lunardi concerning the need 6 in connection with
public contracts, for which his office is responsible 6 to ‘live with the Mafia’, what steps has the
Commission taken to ensure respect for the law in the Union?

3. Why has the Commission not taken any official action vis-à-vis the Italian Government regarding the
blatant infringement of Community law which the Italian Minister’s statements imply?

(1) OJ C 115 E, 16.5.2002, p. 142.
(2) See page 29.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2002)

The Honourable Member is referred to the Commission’s answers to his Written Questions E-2663/

1.
01 (1) and E-3366/01 (2).