WRITTEN QUESTION E-1696/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. The Oporto inner ring road.
Date: 2002-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Portugal, application of EU law, environmental impact, environmental law, noise, noise protection, road traffic

C 309 E/152

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

Over time the Commission has adjusted implementation as necessary so that the programme can continue
and develop. The Commission is mindful of
the impact which the trend highlighted by the
Honourable Members and particularly the forthcoming enlargement of the Union will have on the
programme’s future.

(1) OJ L 352, 15.12.1987.
(2) OJ L 313, 30.10.1992.

(2002/C 309 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1696/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 June 2002)

Subject: The Oporto inner ring road

The ‘Committee for the Oporto inner ring road’ recently sent the Directorate-General for the Environment
a report on the problems suffered by people living near the road, caused by failure to resurface the road or
erect noise barriers.

Can the Commission say what its position is on this report?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2002)

The Commission confirms that it has been approached by a Residents Committee from the city of Oporto
on the subject of noise caused by traffic on the Oporto inner ring road.

The provisions of Community law on environmental noise are not yet applicable to the situation in
In May 2002 the Parliament and the Council adopted a Directive on the assessment and
question.
management of environmental noise (1). This entrusts the competent authorities in the Member States with
the task of making noise maps, using common indicators, for Europe’s largest towns and cities and major
roads, railways and airports, informing the public about noise exposure and its effects, and implementing
action plans to reduce noise exposure where necessary and maintain environmental noise quality where it
is good. The Directive entered into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities, and the Member States have two years from that date to transpose it into national
law.

The project concerned would appear to come under Annex II of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June
1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (2), as the
information received by the Commission shows that it does not meet the criteria for definition as an
express road. Under Article 4(2) of the said Directive it is for the national authorities to decide whether
such projects should be made subject to an environmental impact assessment. However, Article 2 of the
Directive stipulates that projects likely to have significant effects on the environment must be made subject
to such an assessment.

This being the case, the Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has asked the
in particular the classification of the road in
Portuguese authorities for information on the situation,
question, the possible need for an environmental impact assessment and the need to take measures to
minimise the effects.

The Commission will not fail to keep the Honourable Member informed of the outcome of its contacts
with the Portuguese authorities.

(1) Directive 2002/49/EC, 25.6.2002.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3.3.1997, OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.