WRITTEN QUESTION P-1886/02 by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Felling of beeches in a Site of Community Importance in the Abruzzo national park in Italy.
Date: 2002-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, deforestation, environmental impact, environmental law, environmental protection, infringement of EU law, national park, tourist infrastructure

C 301 E/242

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

(2002/C 301 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1886/02

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: Felling of beeches in a Site of Community Importance in the Abruzzo national park in Italy

In the summer of 2001 the town council of Pescasseroli ordered the felling of two thousand large beech
trees at Monte Ceraso (cid:1) Costa delle Vitelle, which is situated in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national
park, all of which is considered as a special protection area, code no IT7120132, under the name ‘Abruzzo
National Park’ (Ministerial Decree of 3 April 2000 listing the special protection areas designated within the
meaning of Directive 79/409/EEC (1)).

The locality is classified as a Site of Community Importance in the above-mentioned Ministerial Decree of
3 April 2000 and is included in the list of SICs proposed pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC (2) (cid:1) Code
No IT7110050 (cid:1) under the name ‘beechwoods of the Pescasseroli basin’.

The trees were felled in order to extend ski slopes and build snow-making machinery, but the work was
not authorised by the committee for the conservation of the park (PNALM) and was not mentioned in the
agreement between it and the town council concerning the adaptation of the ski slopes.

The management of the park has made arrangements for a survey and a photographic record of the
serious environmental damage caused to what is both a special protection area and a Site of Community
Importance. Furthermore, a complaint alleging an infringement of Community law has been registered by
the General Secretariat of the Commission under file number 2001/5049, SG(2001) A11727.

Is the Commission aware of the situation outlined above? Can it ascertain whether the projects comply
with legislation on environmental impact assessment and whether the impact of the work carried out has
been evaluated? Does the Commission intend to take appropriate steps,
in particular with a view to
regenerating the area destroyed?

(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

(23 July 2002)

Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora provides for the protection of Sites of Community Importance (SCI) which will,
according to the procedure laid down by the Directive, be designated as Special Conservation Areas (SCA).
These obligations apply to all authorities of the Member States, at national, regional or local level.

In particular, under Article 6, paragraph 3, ‘any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to
the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in
combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for
the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives.’

The above-mentioned provision applies to Sites of Community Importance (SCI) under Directive
92/43/EEC and Special Protection Areas (SPA) under Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the
conservation of wild birds. It is not fully binding for proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI)
under Directive 92/43/EEC, these being sites which have been proposed by Member States but not yet
included in an official list of sites of Community interest adopted by the Commission. However, in the case
of pSCI, Member States have an obligation to act in a way that does not jeopardise the objectives of the
Directive and ensure therefore that measures are taken to prevent the deterioration of proposed sites.

‘Parco nazionale d’Abruzzo’ (cid:1) IT7120132 (cid:1) is an SPA under Directive 79/409/EEC; ‘Faggete della conca
di Pescasseroli’ (cid:1) IT7110050 (cid:1) is a pSCI under Directive 92/43/EEC. Therefore, they are covered by the
above mentioned obligations.

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/243

The Commission has already opened an official complaint on the situation mentioned by the Honourable
Member and a letter has been sent to the Italian authorities to request information on the issue. The Italian
reply is under assessment and the Commission will
take appropriate steps in order to ensure the
observance of Community law.

(2002/C 301 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1888/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Professional training in Greece

(1 July 2002)

In Greece, unemployed people who participate in subsidised professional training programmes receive the
subsidy eight to ten months after completing training. The trainers are paid two to three years after the
conclusion of training programmes.

Does the Commission consider the length of time which unemployed people and trainers have to

1.
wait before receiving their money to be satisfactory?

2.

It is satisfied with the results of professional training in Greece in relation to the second CSF?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(19 August 2002)

During the period 1994-1999,

1.
in agreement with the Commission,
the Ministry of Labour,
established common rules and regulations for the management, monitoring, control and evaluation of
European Social Fund-financed training actions across the Community Support Framework (CSF) for
Greece.

According to these rules, the payment of the trainees’ allowance had to be paid by the training provider as
a priority following the completion of the training courses.

Annual expenditure incurred for training actions under the different Operational Programmes was paid on
the basis of annual final payment claims presented to the Commission by the Member State six months
following the end of the year concerned.

The effectiveness of vocational training actions under the CSF 1994-1999 will be examined as a

2.
whole following the conclusion of the ex-post evaluation exercise.

(2002/C 301 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1900/02

by Pietro-Paolo Mennea (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 June 2002)

Subject: 2002 World Cup

The honour and pride of various European countries taking part in the World Cup have been undermined
by the incompetence and lack of professionalism shown by some referees.

The mistakes made by referees can severely damage the economic interests of legal persons operating in
the football sector, and even cause them to go bankrupt.

The World Cup, a major sporting event organised by FIFA, does not afford the necessary guarantees of
credibility and reliability.

Given that it is a body governed by private law which has its headquarters in Switzerland, FIFA does not
have the international representativeness required to organise an event of this kind.