WRITTEN QUESTION E-2725/02 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The A-9 Motorway between Spain and Portugal and infringement of Community environmental legislation.
Date: 2002-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Spain, application of EU law, environmental impact, environmental law, motorway, water protection

C 309 E/236

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

In view of all this, can the Commission say whether the superhighway is being financed by the structural
funds? Does it consider that the project submitted by the government is sufficient to meet the social and
economic needs and protect the environment and landscape of the Morrazo peninsula? Is the Commission
aware of the circumstances of the study and the implementation of the project? Does the environmental
impact study submitted by the government meet the requirements of EU directives? Has the Commission
analysed whether the final version of the project meets its own requirements concerning environmental
impact assessment? Is that the Commission willing to consider the statements submitted by the inhabitants
of Morrazo? Does the Commission know that the Galician government is refusing the dialogue requested
by the inhabitants of Morrazo who submitted objections to the superhighway project? Is it willing to
promote this dialogue?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 October 2002)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2002/C 309 E/269)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2725/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: The A-9 Motorway between Spain and Portugal and infringement of Community environmental

legislation

The building work on the A-9 motorway between the Rebullón (Tui, Spain)
interchange and the
Portuguese frontier is having an enormous environmental impact on the area, causing a whole range of
damage, particularly to the existing watercourses. When designing the motorway section which affects the
area’s inhabitants, the environmental damage caused was not assessed: a particular glaring absence from
the studies made were the underground watercourses, which are required for human consumption and the
land. The resulting defective drainage in conjunction with
irrigation of
meteorological conditions, has
the area. The public administrations
responsible for the construction work (Ministry of Development, the Xunta de Galicia and the local
authorities) are dodging the problem and ignoring the numerous and frequent organised protests by local
people. Although there have even been two deaths: a lorry driver was killed by the fall of a girder, and a
local person died during a protest. Both these incidents are sub judice.

irreversible consequences

surrounding agricultural

for

What Community funding is going into the completion of
the roadworks in question? Could the
Commission investigate whether these roadworks involve infringement of environmental legislation on the
dumping of waste on the part of the Spanish Government?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2002)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.