WRITTEN QUESTION E-2734/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Radar installation on the island of Madeira.
Date: 2002-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Madeira, communications systems, complaint to the Commission, protected area, protected species, protection of animal life, satellite communications

C 110 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

Does the Commission have a similar project regarding the waters of southern Europe (cid:1) principally the
Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) and, if not, does the Commission intend to launch an initiative along these lines?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 October 2002)

Several studies regarding radioactivity in the marine environment have been conducted on behalf of the
Commission until now.

Regarding the Mediterranean Sea the project ‘Marína-Med’ was initiated in 1992 and finished in 1994.

The following reports were published by Directorate General Environment:

(cid:1) The radiological exposure of the population of the European Community from radioactivity in the

Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) Project Marína-Med;

Report by a group of experts convened by the European Commission.

Luxembourg, 1994. (Doc. XI-094/93).

(cid:1) The radiological exposure of the population of the European Community from radioactivity in the

Mediterranean Sea (cid:1) Project Marína-Med;

Proceedings of a seminar held in Rome, 17-19 May 1993.

Luxembourg 1994 (EUR15564EN).

Other projects dealt with North European marine waters (Marína, Report EUR12483EN, 1990; Marína II,
draft report on the website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/radprot, 2002) and the Baltic Sea
(Marína-Balt, Report EUR12483EN, 2000).

(2003/C 110 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2734/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: Radar installation on the island of Madeira

Madeiran environmentalists have warned the Commission about the problems caused by the construction
of a large-scale radar installation on Pico do Areeiro, on the island of Madeira.

This is the only nesting place for one of the rarest birds in the world, the Madeira petrel, of which there
are only around thirty known breeding pairs. This bird is protected by law under the European Union
Birds Directive and the Bern Convention, and its habitat is also protected as part of the Life project.

Pico do Areeiro is part of an area covered by the natural park and is listed in the Natura 2000 network.
impact study carried out by a team of experts linked to the University of Aveiro
The environmental
confirmed that the planned radar installation on Pico do Areeiro would have a number of negative
consequences, particularly for the Madeira petrel, an endangered species.

Can the Commission say what position it has taken on the report sent by Madeiran environmentalists?

8.5.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/97

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 2002)

The Honourable Member is referring to correspondence received from a group of citizens drawing the
Commission’s attention to the installation of a large-scale radar in the Pico do Areeiro area on the island of
Madeira. This is located within the ‘Maciço Montanhoso Oriental da ilha da Madeira’, a special protection
area designated by Portugal under Article 4 of Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation
of wild birds (1).

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that, following an examination of the situation, it
was decided that the correspondence should be registered as a complaint by the Commission’s Secretariat-
General and that the Portuguese authorities’ attention should be drawn to the obligations deriving from the
said Directive.

The Commission will be sure to keep the complainants informed of developments in the handling of the
case.

(1) OJ L 103, 24.4.1979.

(2003/C 110 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2735/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Social and economic consequences of EU enlargement

(30 September 2002)

Forthcoming EU enlargement to Central and Eastern European countries will have significant economic
and social consequences, particularly for regions and Member States with a similar economic structure to
these countries, such as Portugal, as has been underlined in various studies (1).

One example of this impact will be the likely relocation of firms to these countries (cid:1) as is already
happening now (cid:1) which will accentuate existing social and economic difficulties in Objective 1 regions.

The Commission:

1. Can it say what data it possesses on the economic and social impact on Portugal of EU enlargement to

countries of Central and Eastern Europe (by productive sector, employment aspects, etc.)?

2. Does it plan to create mechanisms (such as special programmes to support economic development, as
was the case in previous enlargement rounds) which might help offset the negative economic and
social consequences of enlargement, particularly in Portugal’s case, thus guaranteeing the effective
application of the principle of economic and social cohesion as regards raising levels of social and
economic development?

(1) See, for example, the opinion of Parliament’s Committee on Budgets on the budgetary aspects of European Union

enlargement of 20 June 2000 (cid:1) PE 289.570.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 2002)

The Commission has ordered a number of studies to be carried out on the impact of enlargement on both
the present and future Member States. These cover employment and the labour market, the economy in
general and small and medium-sized enterprises. Some of them are already available on the Commission’s
website (http://europa.eu.int).

Most of the studies on the economic impact of enlargement show that the positive effects will outweigh
whatever difficulties certain sectors or regions will face.