do-me/EUR-LEX huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0622/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Closure of the Petrogal refinery at Leça de Palmeira.
Date: 2002-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Portugal, State aid, cessation of trading, job preservation, oil refining, support policy

C 172 E/220

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

(2002/C 172 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0622/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Closure of the Petrogal refinery at Leça de Palmeira

(6 March 2002)

The firm Petrogal, with plants in Sines and Matosinhos, is of great value for Portugal. It is the only
Portuguese company in the fields of the exploration, production and distribution of petroleum,
its
derivatives and natural gas, which guarantees thousands of jobs directly and indirectly, thereby making a
decisive contribution to hundreds of companies upstream and downstream of its activities.

The closure of the refineries (in the immediate future the one at Leça da Palmeira in Matosinhos) would
have serious consequences for the Portuguese economy and workers.

It should be noted that unemployment in Portugal is rising once again and the socio-economic indicators
are the weakest in the European Union.

Can the Commission therefore say what support can be granted at Community and national level to keep
the refineries in operation and thereby safeguard Petrogal’s employees’ jobs and their rights?

Answer given by Ms Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2002)

The Commission does not know the reasons for the possible closure of the Petrogal refinery in Leça da
Palmeira, nor the circumstances in which this might take place.

It would point out to the Honourable Member that, pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of
21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (1), both the selection of projects
and their implementation are matters for the national and regional authorities that are responsible for the
management and monitoring of the programmes co-financed under these Funds. The Commission is
therefore unable to provide direct support to enterprises in order to safeguard jobs there, and calls on the
enterprises concerned to contact the said authorities in order to obtain information on the possibility of
co-financing.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 172 E/236)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0637/02

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(8 March 2002)

Subject: Transparency

Will the Commission please comment on the proposal concerning transparency and openness in the EU
institutions entitled ‘Transparency and openness in the EU institutions’, as proposed by SEAP, the Society
of European Affairs Professionals?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2002)

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for drawing to its attention the document produced by
the ‘Society of European Affairs Professionals’ (SEAP), which it examined with the greatest of interest.

The document concerned contains a certain number of proposals aimed at increasing the transparency of
the work of the Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0582/02 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Illegal dumping of hazardous waste in Co. Wicklow, Ireland..
Date: 2002-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, complaint to the Commission, public health, unauthorised dumping

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/215

Should the Commission be informed that Community law is being breached in the specific case, it would
not hesitate, as the guardian of the EC Treaty, to take all necessary measures,
including infringement
procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, in order to ensure the observance of relevant Community
law.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2002/C 172 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0582/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 March 2002)

Subject: Illegal dumping of hazardous waste in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Could the Commission indicate what action it has taken, or intends to take, against Wicklow County
Council and the Irish Government over the illegal dumping of more than 300 000 tonnes of waste,
including hazardous waste, discovered in Whitestown, Co. Wicklow in November 2001 given that:

1. Wicklow County Council has stated that it intends to seal the site, as it claims that the cost of moving

the waste to a legal landfill and restoring the site to its original condition is too high;

2.

a failure on the part of Wicklow County Council to clear up the site will mean that it will be in breach
of Directive 75/442/EEC (1), and, in particular, Articles 4, 8 and 9 thereof, and

3. Wicklow County Council became aware of the illegal site in 1998 and, notwithstanding, did not step

in and clean it up, despite potential dangers to public health.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 2002)

The Commission has received a complaint about this landfill and is investigating the case.

The Commission has the task of ensuring the correct application of Community law, in the light of the
powers conferred on it by the EC Treaty. As the guardian of the EC Treaty, it does not hesitate to take all
necessary measures, including infringement procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, in order to
ensure the observance of Community law.

(2002/C 172 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0587/02

by Guido Bodrato (PPE-DE), Massimo Carraro (PSE)
and Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 March 2002)

Subject: Failure to carry out environmental impact assessment

EU principles

Article 27 of the Veneto regional law No 10/99 has been ruled invalid on the grounds of incompatibility
with the
(Commission Directive
85/337/EEC (1)), in a reasoned opinion of 3 August 2000 concerning breaches of Community environ-
mental legislation by regional authorities, including the Italian region of Veneto. However, under the above
law the Veneto region has authorised yet another category 2B discharge of woodpulp, considered as

environmental

concerning

assessment

impact