WRITTEN QUESTION E-1169/02 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Dispersal of hazardous substances in the sea.
Date: 2002-04-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, application of EU law, dredging, environmental impact, environmental law, harbour installation, hazardous waste, marine pollution, water protection

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/97

The Commission believes that legal unbundling coupled with measures of functional unbundling, as
to achieve the objective of non-discriminatory network access. The

3.
proposed, can be sufficient
Commission will review the effectiveness of this provision in a regular report.

4.
The Commission has not studied the price developments in conurbations and rural areas. Eurostat
publishes price comparisons for all major cities in the Union. This data is available on the website of
Eurostat1. In its recent report on the implementation of the Electricity and Gas Directives, the Commission
has published price comparisons and developments in the Member States (1).

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/en/elec_single_market/index_en.html.

(2002/C 301 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1168/02

by Ruth Hieronymi (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Post of head of Commission Representation in Bonn vacant

The post of head of the European Commission Representation in Bonn has been vacant for two and a half
years. In other cases the post of head of representation hass remained vacant for a maximum of three
months.

When will the post of head of the European Commission Representation in Bonn be filled?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2002)

As the Honourable Member has already been informed by the Secretary-General in letter No 30262 of
19 February 2001, the Commission would stress that it is in its interests to maintain an office in Bonn for
two reasons: the continuing presence of certain federal ministries there and the importance of the region
of North Rhine-Westphalia.

At present, the Commission does not have any vacant post which it could allocate to the Bonn regional
office. It had also informed the Honourable Member in the above-mentioned letter that the situation would
be reviewed immediately in the event of an increase in the activities of that office which could not be
handled by the staff working there.

However, the Commission notes that, to date, the workload in the Bonn office has not increased to that
extent and is being handled efficiently by the staff, with the support of the Head of the Commission
Representation to Germany in Berlin, who performs a valuable liaison function with the federal and local
authorities.

The situation will be reviewed regularly.

(2002/C 301 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1169/02

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Dispersal of hazardous substances in the sea

(24 April 2002)

According to an investigative report in the Greek press, the organisation managing the port of Piraeus is
considering the approval of works to deepen Piraeus harbour. This project involves dredging the seabed of

C 301 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

an estimated 200 000 tonnes of hazardous substances such as organic residues and materials, heavy
metals, petroleum products and pesticides and dispersing them in nearby waters off Palio Faliro and in the
open sea at Piraeus.

Bearing in mind that the Piraeus Central Port Authority has produced a document and the National Centre
of Maritime Research a scientific study rejecting the scheme because it will result in an environmental
disaster:

1. Will the Commission investigate this matter and request information concerning the deepening of the
port and the dispersal of hazardous substances and waste in the waters off Palio Faliro and the open
sea at Piraeus, together with details of the checks to be carried out pursuant to Community law?

2. What is the situation in Greece regarding the implementation of Community law (cid:1) regulations,
directives, international agreements and conventions (cid:1) on the protection of water resources and what
measures will
the Commission take to ensure adequate protection of public health and the
environment in Greece?

3.

Is it permissible to discharge hazardous and toxic sediment into the aquatic environment when,
according to the study by the National Centre of Maríne Research, it contains concentrations of heavy
metals (Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb) 6-7 times higher and concentrations of hydrocarbons 40 times higher than
the concentrations found in sediment in the open sea at Piraeus?

4. Has a new, systematic environmental study been carried out and if so, by whom, since the study
carried out by the National Centre of Maríne Research rejected the proposal to discharge pollutant
substances into the sea?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

In May 2002, there are 18 dossiers regarding bad application or implementation in Greece of Community
legislation related to water protection and management. Six of them concern infringement procedures
under Article 226 or Article 228 of the EC Treaty. For the 12 files remaining, the Commission investigates
eventual breach of the Community legislation, in order to ensure the protection of environment. However,
none of these files concerns the pollution of the sea in the Pireaus area.

In principle, Council Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain dangerous
substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community (1) covers pollution from heavy
metals and organic residues. However, the Directive excludes specifically the discharges of dredgings, the
operational discharges from ships in territorial waters and the dumping from ships in territorial waters
(cf. Article 1(2d)).

The recently adopted Water Framework Directive (2) follows a wider approach by requiring, inter alia, a
‘good status’ of water quality. All pressures and impacts need to be considered when drawing up a
programme of measures to achieve this ‘good status’. This Directive has to be transposed into national
legislation by 22 December 2003 at the latest. Furthermore, the definition of discharges under Article 1 of
Directive 76/464/EEC will have to be formally replaced by the ongoing prepartion of subsequent
legislation provided for under Article 16 of the Water Framework Directive.

In conclusion, the current Community water legislation which is in force to date does not appear to apply
in the case of the dredging and dispersal of hazardous substances from the port of Piraeus. Further
information on this case would be required in order to verify this preliminary conclusion and to evaluate
whether other pieces of Community legislation, e.g.
impact
assessment, would be applicable.

in the fields of waste or environmental

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/99

In order to ensure that Community law is correctly applied, the Commission shall investigate the matter of
deepening of the port of Piraeus and of its environmental effects. A letter shall be sent in this effect to the
competent Greek authorities requesting information on the matter raised by the Honorable Member.

(1) OJ L 129, 18.5.1976.
(2) Parliament and Council Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action

in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2002/C 301 E/103)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1170/02

by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE)
and Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 April 2002)

Subject: Construction of Athens tram system

As part of the operational programme for ‘railways, airports and urban transport’ under the 3rd CSF, the
Greek Ministry of Transport and Communications is pressing ahead with the construction of a tram
system consisting of two lines:

(cid:1) Zappeion (cid:1) Nea Smyrni (Achilleos) (cid:1) Palio Faliro (cid:1) Neo Faliro and

(cid:1) Neo Faliro (cid:1) Palio Faliro (cid:1) Ayios Kosmas (cid:1) Glyfada.

Transport engineers and other experts have raised objections to the route finally chosen (via Nea Smyrni
instead of Syggrou Avenue and via the seafront at Palio Faliro) and to the tight schedule for carrying out
the work (cid:1) forming part of the timetable for works relating to the Olympic Games (cid:1) which leaves no
margin for reviewing any shortcomings in surveying and planning. Moreover, the inhabitants of Nea
Smyrni, Alimos, Glyfada and Palio Faliro have protested (the last-mentioned have in fact appealed to the
Council of State), while three of the town councils involved have rejected the proposed route on the
grounds that it would ruin the seafront, an area of exceptional beauty, without resolving the traffic
problem. Traffic lanes would be lost or substantially narrowed and bus routes cut and services reduced.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Have a complete transport study and an advisability study duly been carried out to consider other,
more cost-effective solutions? What comparative study justifies the choice of route one instead of the
route via Syggrou Avenue (our information suggests that there is none)?

2. Has a complete environmental impact assessment been carried out (2000 trees would apparently have
to be destroyed) and were the public consulted at the stage when the route and the environmental
impact assessment of the works were adopted?

3. Have all the requirements of Community and national law concerning competition and the social

value of the project been met?

4. What is the timetable for completion of the project and how realistic is it?

5. How has it come about that, despite its lack of experience in carrying out a project on this scale,

TRAM A.E. has been chosen as the most appropriate firm to complete this project?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2002)

On the basis of
the information received from the Greek managing authority responsible for the
operational programme ‘Railways, Airports, Urban Transport 2000-2006’, the Commission is able to
provide the following responses to the questions raised by the Honorable Member.