WRITTEN QUESTION E-0184/03 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Construction of a technical road project (bridge) in the Herakleion-Knossos area.
Date: 2003-01-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, application of EU law, engineering structure, environmental impact, road building, town-planning regulations

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/105

consent is granted, it follows that the assessment may need to be updated or extended accordingly, taking
into accout the legitimate expectations of the public and the principle of good administration. Hence, new
information relating to likely significant environmental effects of the project must be taken into account
during the development consent procedure.

As regards the change of environmental characteristics after granting of the development consent, the
Directive does not regulate the time in which the project must be started. However, it should be stressed
that the Directive requires that all factors likely to have significant effects on the environment are assessed
and taken into account in the development consent procedure.

The Commission does not envisage amending the Directive at this stage but this could be one of the issues
to be considered in any future amendment.

(2003/C 242 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0184/03

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 January 2003)

Subject: Construction of a technical road project (bridge) in the Herakleion-Knossos area

Inhabitants of the Herakleion region have complained about a bridge under construction along the historic
route linking Herakleion to Knossos:
this route,
is extremely expensive, is of little value from the traffic point of view and is based on an arbitrary decision,
since it is not mentioned in Law 2947/01 on Olympic Games projects and has not been approved by the
competent directorate of the Ministry of the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works, the
Directorate for Road Construction Projects and Studies.

it blatantly disregards the historic importance of

Bearing in mind the above and the protests of the local bodies and inhabitants, will the Commission say:

1.

Is the construction of this project in line with Community legislation on viability and sustainable
traffic planning in urban environments?

2. What measures does it intend to take should it find that the above project is illegal and arbitrary and
that there is a readily available alternative which would meet the traffic, urban planning, functional,
aesthetic, environmental and cultural needs of the region?

3.

Is this project receiving Community funding? If so, have the functionality and necessary viability of the
project been established?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 2003)

Construction of the viaduct along the route linking Herakleion to Knossos in Crete,
Honourable Member refers, is not being part-financed by Community Funds.

to which the

Nevertheless certain infrastructure projects, whether or not part-financed by Community Funds, must
satisfy the requirements of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects
of certain public and private projects on the environment (1), as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of
3 March 1997 (2), as regards drawing up an environmental impact study.

Article 2(1) of that Directive stipulates ‘Member States shall adopt all measures necessary to ensure that,
before consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia,
of their nature, size or location are made subject to a requirement for development consent and an
assessment with regard to their effects.’ These projects are defined in Article 4, which refers to Annexes I
and II of the Directive. However, projects to construct viaducts are not expressly listed in any of the
Annexes to the Directive.

C 242 E/106

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

The Commission therefore considers, on the basis of the information supplied by the Honourable Member,
that Directive 85/337/EEC is not applicable.

if the viaduct could be regarded as forming part of a road or railway, which are listed in
However,
it is possible that Greek legislation requires the project to undergo an
Annex II.10.e to the Directive,
environmental impact assessment procedure. If the Honourable Member knows of any factors which might
show there to be an infringement, the Commission would ask him to supply all the relevant information
so that it can examine whether the project fully complies with the requirements deriving from Directive
85/337/EEC.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2003/C 242 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0193/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 January 2003)

Subject: Traffic problem in Athens

According to reports in the Greek press, the Commission has funded programmes (such as Euronet,
Europrice, Afford etc.) to evaluate road charging schemes in some European cities,
including Athens,
which is an Olympic city and in less than 19 months hosts the 2004 Olympic Games. One of the
proposals was to introduce a system of additional charges (tolls) to use the roads in the centre of Athens.
Remarkably, in Athens no tunnels are built for underground traffic as they are in other European cities
such as Brussels, a system which would certainly relieve the congestion.

Is it true that the introduction of tolls in Athens is under consideration? In which Member States are there
no tolls at all on motorways or other roads? What is the Commission’s view regarding the construction of
underground tunnels as part of the works which it jointly funds in Athens? Does the Commission know
whether the co-funded works on the Athens Metro are proceeding in due and proper manner, in particular
on the basis of detailed surveys, following the recent subsidence in Chalandri in Attica which left a crater
in the middle of the road directly above the construction site of a metro line?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

The Commission has funded several projects under the 4th and the 5th Framework Research Programmes
on transport pricing. The cities and policies to be analysed in these projects are selected by the study team,
not by the Commission. The fact that pricing in Athens is addressed by several projects reflects the success
of Greek researchers in the calls for proposals.

The decision to introduce an urban road pricing system in Athens is a decision that, in line with the
subsidiarity principle, should be taken by the competent authorities and not by the Commission. The
Commission is not aware of any plans for Athens.

Directive 1999/62/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999, on the charging of heavy
goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures (1) is the Community legal instrument for the levying of
taxes, tolls and user charges on lorries above 12 tonnes (T). Member States levying tolls and user charges
on vehicles below 12 T do not have to comply with the provisions contained in Directive 1999/62/EC as
such tolls and user charges fall outside its scope. As a rule, tolls and user charges shall be imposed only on
users of motorways or other mufti-lane roads with characteristics similar to motorways, or users of
bridges, tunnels and mountain passes. At present, Member States relying solely on taxation instruments