WRITTEN QUESTION E-1834/02 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Protection of Costa del Sol beaches.
Date: 2002-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Spain, coastal protection, tourism

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/169

(2002/C 309 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1834/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Protection of Costa del Sol beaches

(27 June 2002)

The succession of storms which have affected the Costa del Sol this year have left its beaches in a
condition totally unsuitable for bathing or for the enjoyment of the many thousands of tourists who visit
that tourist region of Spain.

The beaches have been the subject of political debate in recent months, and are now at the centre of a full-
blown controversy. It has been proposed, as a long-term solution, that a substantial fleet of dredgers
should be created for the permanent maintenance of the beaches.

This fleet of dredgers would not come cheap, but appears to be a necessity if the beaches are to be kept in
condition on a permanent basis. Can the Commission state in what form it could contribute to such a
dredger system, and what programmes could be used to finance the purchase of the vessels, given their
role in ensuring the wellbeing of the tourist business in the region and the users of the Costa del Sol’s
beaches?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2002)

The project indicated by the Honourable Member can be part-financed from the Structural Funds under
the 2000-2006 integrated operational programme for Andalusia provided it is included in its strategy and
priorities. Under the subsidiarity principle Member States choose the actual projects for part-financing in
line with the selection criteria adopted in the programming and their own priorities.

Projects for environmental protection of beaches can in theory also be financed from the Environment
section of the European Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE). However LIFE does not finance
research, equipment and infrastructure projects but innovatory pilot and demonstration projects that
satisfy the general requirements and assessment criteria of the LIFE Regulation. Full information on LIFE
and project submission details can be found on the Commission site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/life/envir/
index.htm.

(2002/C 309 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1847/02

by Guido Bodrato (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 June 2002)

Subject: Lack of coordination between the Community pension scheme and the Member States’ pension

schemes

By means of Council Regulation (EC) No 1606/98 (1) of 29 June 1998, application of Regulation (EEC)
No 1408/71 (2) on social security has been extended to schemes covering public employees.

Will the Commission say whether or not the employees of Community institutions can take advantage of
Regulation (EC) No 1606/98 in order to secure, by means of the scheme for aggregating periods of
pension contributions, entitlement to a pension based on the periods of pension contribution completed
under the scheme of one of the Member States before taking up employment with a Community
institution?

Is it not paradoxical that the Community lawmakers have not bothered to make specific provision for
coordination between the Community pension scheme and the Member States’ pension schemes with a
view to safeguarding pension rights which have already been (or which are in the process of being)
acquired under national law, within the spirit of Regulation (EC) No 1408/71?