WRITTEN QUESTION E-3632/02 by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission. Measures to prevent/compensate for disasters such as the sinking of the Prestige.
Date: 2002-12-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU environmental policy, EU waters, Galicia, indemnification, man-made disaster, maritime safety, oil pollution, pollution control measures, prevention of pollution

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Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

(2003/C 161 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3632/02

by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 December 2002)

Subject: Measures to prevent/compensate for disasters such as the sinking of the ‘Prestige’

Over the last 10 years, three oil tankers carrying hazardous products have come to grief off EU coastal
regions, thereby inflicting an ecological disaster on the areas concerned. The most recent case (involving
the Prestige) has acquired notoriety on account of the attendant social, technical, economic and ecological
circumstances and the many damaging effects which it has had on Galician society.

In view of this state of affairs, what action does the Commission intend to take in order to put right the
damage which the disaster has done to Galicia and to prevent similar disasters from occurring in
Community waters, particularly those of the EU’s outermost regions, so as to ensure that safety prevails in
the affected eco-systems and that the resources thereof are protected?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2003)

On 20 December 2002 the Council adopted a Regulation instituting a specific measure aimed at
promoting the recovery of fish stocks and aquaculture sites affected by the oil slick caused by the tanker
Prestige (1).

The Regulation lays down exceptional supporting measures for the persons and enterprises engaged in the
fisheries, shellfish industry and aquaculture in the Spanish coastal areas affected by the oil pollution from
the Prestige.

The support measures comprise:

(cid:1) compensation to persons and owners of enterprises for the temporary cessation of their activities,

(cid:1) aid for replacing fishing gear,

(cid:1) aid for cleaning, repairing and reconstructing shellfish and aquaculture sites,

(cid:1) compensation for replacing shellfish stocks.

The Regulation also provides for a number of derogations from the criteria which expenditure must satisfy
in order to receive part-financing from the FIFG under Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 (2), in order
to facilitate and speed up the provision of aid to the pollution victims.

The Regulation also authorises the release of additional appropriations (EUR 30 million) under the aid
provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 2561/2001 of 17 December 2001 aiming to promote the
conversion of fishing vessels and of fishermen that were, up to 1999, dependent on the fishing agreement
with Morocco (3).

Also, on 3 December 2002 the Commission adopted a communication on improving safety at sea in
response to the Prestige accident (4), an initiative supported by the transport Council of 6 December 2002
in its conclusions.

On 20 December 2002 the Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation which would ban the
transport of heavy fuel by single-hull tankers to or from EU ports and accelerate the replacement of single-
hull vessels by double-hull vessels (5); the proposal is currently being examined by Parliament and the
Council.

Similarly, the Commission has already started to draw up a number of new legislative measures intended
inter alia to impose criminal penalties on any person (i.e. not only the shipowner, but also the owner of
the cargo, the classification society or any other person involved) who has contributed to pollution
through gross negligence.

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The Commission would also like to remind the Honourable Member that, under the rules in force, in order
to combat the consequences of the disaster the Spanish Government has the option of using a number of
ERDF and Cohesion Fund appropriations already allocated to Spain for 2000-2006.

The Commission would like to take this opportunity to inform the Honourable Member that to date the
Spanish authorities have told us only that they wish to use measure 3.5 (‘Actuaciones medioambientales en
costas’) of
(OP) Galicia 2000-2006, allocated with ERDF aid of
EUR 64 516 472, to undertake cleaning work.

the operational programme

On 14 January 2003 the Commission received an official request from the Spanish authorities to mobilise
the Solidarity Fund for aid to pay the costs of cleaning the Galician coast soiled by oil slicks following the
shipwreck of the Prestige. The Commission is examining the implementation of their request on the basis
of the information received, and will respond as soon as possible in accordance with the rules.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2372/2002 of 20 December 2002 instituting specific measures to compensate the
Spanish fisheries, shellfish industry and aquaculture, affected by the oil spills from the Prestige, OJ L 358,
31.12.2002.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements

regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector, OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(3) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.
(4) COM(2002) 681 final.
(5) COM(2002) 780 final.

(2003/C 161 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3639/02

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 December 2002)

Subject: Aid to Tuscany

Can the Commission confirm that EUR 322 million has been allocated to Tuscany by the EU for 2002-
2006 for the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses? Can the Commission account for all
this money? Does the Commission have any knowledge of a project to build a large polyurethane foam
factory near Crossetto using this money? There is concern that the company which is building this factory
should not have had access to EU funds in this area, coming as it does from another region, and that the
compulsory purchase of land from locals was consequently illegal (justified only by virtue of the theoretical
entitlement to EU funding). Can the Commission allay fears that this is the case?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2003)

By decision of 27 September 2001 (1), the Commission adopted the single programming document (SPD)
for Tuscany for 2000-2006, which includes funding totalling EUR 1 113,57 million. Community assistance
for this programme amounts to EUR 322,5 million. The SPD for Tuscany contains 27 measures, of which
only six can be regarded as directly addressed to small and medium-sized firms.

These six measures provide for investment totalling EUR 366,07 million, of which EUR 87,18 million
(23,82 %) will come from the Community.

It should be noted that, while the Commission approves the measures in the SPD, the choice of projects is
strictly a matter for the region. The Commission is informed of the use of funds under the SPD through a
system of national, regional and local monitoring; furthermore, a report on implementation is prepared
each year and twice a year the Commission receives progress reports at the Monitoring Committee
meetings. At the present stage of implementation of the SPD, no project like the one referred to has