WRITTEN QUESTION E-1487/02 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission. Preservation of posidonia meadows.
Date: 2002-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community of Valencia, EU environmental policy, application of EU law, coastal protection, environmental impact, environmental law, protected area, protection of plant life, water treatment

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/159

Is the Commission in possession of information as to the latest steps by the Spanish authorities to prevent
the discharge of waste water, following the Commission’s action against Spain for its failure to apply the
legislation on purification plants?

What specific action does the Commission intend to undertake to protect the SCI area and its posidonia
beds?

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(12 July 2002)

Projects consisting of the extraction of sand, such as the one mentioned by the Honourable Member, may
fall within the scope of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985, as amended by Council Directive
97/11/EC of 3 March 1997, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the
environment, since they are listed in Annex II thereof (cid:1) point 2 c), ‘extraction of minerals by marine or
fluvial dredging’.

Pursuant to the above Directive, Member States shall determine through a case-by-case examination,
thresholds or criteria or a combination of both approaches whether a project listed in Annex II shall be
made subject to an assessment in accordance with Articles 5-10 of the Directive. For this purpose, Member
States shall take into account the selection criteria set out in Annex III of the Directive, which refer to the
characteristics of the project, its location and the characteristics of the potential impact. Member States
shall ensure that the determination or the requirement for an assessment is made available to the public.

The facts raised by the Honourable Member form the subject of a complaint procedure. Within the
framework of the handling of this case, the Commission is making representations to the Spanish
Authorities in order to request further information concerning these facts. The Commission will ensure
that the provisions of the above mentioned Council Directives are taken into account by the Spanish
Authorities.

(2002/C 301 E/171)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1487/02

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Preservation of posidonia meadows

(29 May 2002)

Posidonia oceanica, which is accorded priority protection in Annex 1 to Directive 92/43/EEC (1) (Habitats),
is in sharp decline along the entire Mediterranean coast. The WWF study of ‘The Mediterranean coastline:
diagnosis and conservation’, states that the density of clumps has fallen in 78 % of the Spanish coast’s
posidonia oceanica beds, and this appears to confirm that there is a general shrinkage in almost all the
beds.

In the case of the Spanish coasts, where this habitat is particularly well represented, the extent and general
state of conservation of the beds have declined in recent decades due to massive human pressure, including
in particular:

(cid:1) fishing (especially trawling), which in the case of

the Murcian and Valencian Autonomous

Communities, has already damaged over 40 % of the surface of the beds;

(cid:1) the steady proliferation of marinas and other tourist installations, particularly on the Valencian coast,

where saturation point has already been reached due to excessive town planning pressures;

(cid:1) pollution and discharges, which decrease the vegetable biomass and result in a loss of biological
diversity in the beds, over and above changes to the vegetable make-up of the associated plant
community;

(cid:1) etc.

C 301 E/160

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

Initial reply of 21 June 2001 to written question E-1253/01 (2), the Commission deemed it premature to
pass judgement on the adequacy of Spain’s proposals on the protection of posidonia beds.

In the light of the fact referred to above, and the EU’s recent reaffirmation of its commitment to
conserving protected habitats, both by its participation in the Biodiversity Convention meetings in the
Hague, and its adoption of the Recommendation on the integrated management of coastal areas:

(cid:1) What specific measures does the Commission intend to propose to arrest the deterioration and

shrinkage of posidonia beds, particularly along the Mediterranean coast?

(cid:1) Does the Commission believe that the SCIs areas marked out by Spain for the conservation of this
important habitat are adequate? What is the Commission’s opinion of the listing suggested by the
WWF in its report on the Mediterranean coastline with regard to the areas not included as SCIs by the
Spanish Government? Does the Commission intend to approach the Spanish authorities to plead the
case for including these areas?

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
(2) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 205.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2002)

The Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae) to which the Honourable Member refers are a natural habitat in
danger of disappearance, and the Community has special responsibility for their conservation.

The Commission believes that measures taken by the Member States to protect this habitat might not be
sufficient, in view of its state of conservation and the number of serious threats endangering it.

The Commission will therefore pay particular attention to ensuring that a sufficient number of sites
hosting this habitat are included in the Natura 2000 network.

Moreover, the Commission believes that protection measures should be introduced now, before final
adoption of the list of Special Areas of Conservation. More particularly, given the pressures on this habitat,
the Commission attaches great importance to the implementation of the provisions of Article 6 of Council
Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

Unfortunately, the Commission is not in a position to comment on the adequacy of Spain’s proposals or
the existence of other possible sites, as the Member States are still transmitting information on sites to be
considered for protection in the Mediterranean, and the biogeographical seminar at which they were due
to be discussed has been postponed.

The Commission has always believed that the success of nature conservation policies depends largely on
the participation of all sectors of society concerned. The report mentioned by the Honourable Member,
which the Commission has already received, shows once again that independent contributors have an
important role to play in identifying problems and helping to target nature protection initiatives.

(2002/C 301 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1491/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 May 2002)

Subject: Execution of the RURIS (rural development) programme in Portugal

According to a report published in a Portuguese daily newspaper the Commission is to impose a ‘fine’ of
around EUR 4,6 million on Portugal because of
the RURIS (Rural
Development) programme in 2001, which did not reach the minimum of 75 % required under Regulation

the low level of execution of