WRITTEN QUESTION E-1718/02 by Elisabeth Schroedter (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Danger posed to European nature reserves in the Lower Oder Valley (Brandenburg).
Date: 2002-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brandenburg, biotope, environmental impact, exchange of information, humid zone, inland waterway transport, protected area, public works, watercourse

C 277 E/238

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Are there civil aviation services in the Member States which suspend operations during the weekends? Are
there national meteorological services which do likewise? If so, in which countries do those services close
at midday on Friday and resume operation on Monday? What problems does such an arrangement create
for civil aviation?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2002)

Civil aviation services in Europe are designed to deal with traffic demands which vary from place to place
and according to particular periods of use.

The demands are made every day of the week and the services must therefore be available at all times to
ensure that flights operate according to schedule and in safety. This concerns more especially the air traffic
control services, which include the meteorological services.

As far as air traffic control is concerned, the services available have sometimes been insufficient due to
reduced staffing levels at weekends. This has led to reduced air traffic management capability and therefore
more flight delays. It does not affect safety. The management problem, for which the EU does not have
power to act, could be solved by organising air traffic control services in a manner which reflects user
demand. The ‘Single sky’ initiative is aimed at increasing the safety, capacity and efficiency of air traffic
management. The regulatory framework proposed by the Commission will lead to stricter surveillance of
service providers’ performance by the national authorities and will introduce the harmonised rules and
standards which service providers need to improve their management of human resources and
infrastructure.

Some airports specialised in certain kinds of flights (general aviation) may be partially or fully closed at
weekends.

(2002/C 277 E/263)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1718/02

by Elisabeth Schroedter (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 June 2002)

Subject: Danger posed to European nature reserves in the Lower Oder Valley (Brandenburg)

The Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthaler waterway is part of a waterway linking Berlin and Stettin. The point
where the waterway joins the Western Oder river is the site of the ‘total reserve area’ of the ‘Lower Oder
Valley’ (‘Unteres Odertal’) national park. It is protected under national and EU law (special protection area
under Directive 79/409/EEC (1) and conservation area under Article 4(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC (2)). The
banks of the river provide a habitat for species such as otter, beaver and the small copper butterfly and as
a breeding ground and habitat for the black stork, the white-tailed eagle, the lesser spotted eagle and the
osprey. The breeding grounds of the aquatic warbler, the corncrake, the black tern and the little grebe are
also affected. These habitats are to be destroyed as a result of the straightening and widening from 26 m to
55 m of a 12 km section of the Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthaler waterway. The assessment of the project’s
impact on the environment and on natural habitats and wild flora and fauna was found to be inadequate
and faulty in its analysis. No survey of compensatory measures could be drawn up. The only alternatives
considered related to the form of the widening, and did not include alternative freight transport routes.

Is the Commission aware of the planned destruction of the above-mentioned natural habitats of rare
1.
species and species which are protected in Europe? If so, what measures is it taking to prevent this
destruction? If not, does it believe that, in a case such as this, preservation of the European nature reserve
takes precedence over the widening of the waterway, particularly given that the overall economic benefit
of the project is questionable, as an equivalent widening of the river, both upstream and downstream, is
neither possible nor planned?

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/239

Is the Commission aware of plans to finance the widening of the waterway from EU structural funds?

2.
If so, does it agree with these plans, and for what reasons?

In general, how important does the Commission believe it is to preserve the European nature reserve
3.
the development of which the Commission funded with
‘Lower Oder Valley’ under Natura 2000,
€ 3 380 500 under the LIFE programme? Does the Commission believe that lifting or downgrading the
conservation status of this area to allow for the widening of the river is compatible with the goals of
Natura 2000?

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2002)

1.
In September and October 2001 and in January 2002 correspondents informed the Commission
about the project. The information included inter alia an explanatory report of 30 March 2001 produced
for the public authorisation procedure (Erläuterungsbericht zum Planfeststellungsbeschluss). According to
this report the impact assessment under Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora only indicated significant effects with respect
to the butterfly species Large Copper (Lycaena dispar).
It concluded that for this species additional
investigations had been initiated.

The correspondents were informed about the requirements of the protection regime under Article 6 of
Directive 92/43/EEC with regard to the project and about the possibility of submitting a complaint to the
Commission.

the beginning of

June 2002 the Commission received a complaint regarding this project and
At
subsequently a submission by local industry on the positive effects of this project. The Commission is
expecting the submission of additional information concerning the impacts on the protected areas to allow
for an in-depth assessment whether Community environmental law is being infringed.

According to the information received from the authorities of Brandenburg,

2.
the Hohensaaten
Friedrichstaler Wasserstrasse is a federal waterway and therefore no European Regional Development Fund
co-financing is involved in this project.

3.
The lowlands along the lower part of the river Oder are part of a Polish/German transboundary
nature reserve and represent one of the most extensive riverine wetlands of central Europe of outstanding
importance for the Natura 2000 network. The lower Oder valley has been proposed as a site of
Community importance under Directive 92/43/EEC and is subject to the protection regime as laid down in
Article 6 of that Directive. This protection regime includes a clear procedure for dealing with projects that
are likely to have a significant impact on the site’s conservation objectives. The Commission has not
received information indicating a repeal or reduction of the site’s conservation objectives.

(2002/C 277 E/264)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1725/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 June 2002)

Subject: Electronic identity cards and procedures for the award of public service contracts

As part of the e-government programme in autumn 2000 the Belgian authorities decided that by 2005
every Belgian would be required to carry an electronic identity card.