WRITTEN QUESTION E-0257/03 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Health conditions on French canals.
Date: 2003-02-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, application of EU law, environmental law, pleasure craft, wastewater, water protection, water treatment

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/45

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2003)

In drafting the regulations designed to give the European Union ‘a long-term perspective for sustainable
agriculture’, the Commission has safeguarded and taken full account of the specific features of Community
assistance intended to support agricultural production in the outermost regions.

As a result, in these regions the decoupling of aid will concern only a limited range of assistance from the
common agricultural policy (CAP) and the additional aid provided under the POSEI programmes.
Integrating this aid into the decoupled envelope will permit a substantial simplification of administrative
management procedures.

By introducing the single payment, the Commission is also proposing to give the Member States more
freedom in terms of the territorial level for implementation. That provision could prove particularly useful
in enabling the Member States concerned to take account of the particular situation of these regions.

The Commission would also stress that one of the aims of its proposals to reform the CAP is gradually to
reduce direct aid in order to free up additional finance for rural development. This is also likely to benefit
the outermost regions.

In accordance with Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, the Commission will continue to ensure that what has
been achieved by the measures planned for the outermost regions is preserved and takes full account of
the their special needs. Where necessary, it reserves the right to propose any adjustments which may be
required to that end.

(2003/C 280 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0257/03

by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 February 2003)

Subject: Health conditions on French canals

Pleasure craft on the French Canal Rhin au Marne and the Canal du Nivernais in 2002 apparently had to
pump out toilets directly into the canals because the French authorities have not positioned pumping-out
facilities along the canals for the boats to use. Can the Commission confirm that the system contravenes
existing EU law, and will it now take the matter up with the French authorities?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Relevant pieces of Community environmental legislation in the case of waste water discharges to waters
are the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (1), the Water Framework Directive (2) and the Bathing
Water Directive (3).

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive covers in its scope discharges of more than 2000 inhabitants
or the equivalent in waste water. Discharges below this threshold, e.g. from smaller settlements, individual
houses outside areas of concentration, or pleasure crafts are not covered by the Directive and thus fall
under the responsibility of Member States, following the principle of subsidiarity.

Under the Water Framework Directive, the Union has recently restructured and expanded its water
protection policy, protecting all waters and addressing all sources of impact, with an obligation to achieve
good quality (‘good status’) for all waters by 2015, and providing one coherent managerial framework for
the implementation of all water-related Community legislation. This environmental objective and deadline
are complemented by mandatory preparatory steps, such as first analysis of pressures and impacts by

C 280 E/46

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

December 2004, upgrading the monitoring system by December 2006 and establishing the necessary
measures within a river basin management plan by December 2009.

Discharges from pleasure crafts will, as indeed all other sources of impact, have to be assessed and
integrated into the measures under a river basin management plan. Within the binding objective of
achieving good status those measures might entail restrictions and/or bans to discharges from a range of
sources. The Commission is aware of the fact that current national and/or regional legislation as regards
discharges from pleasure crafts provides for a range of approaches, from a total ban on any discharges via
a ban on toilet discharges, but allowing for kitchen discharges, to no regulation at all. One of the key
principles of the Water Framework Directive is to achieve ambitious and comparable water quality
standards across Europe, whilst allowing flexibility as regards the tools how to achieve this environmental
objective.

in its role as Guardian of

The Commission will,
the Treaties, carefully observe the appropriate
implementation of the Directive within the set deadlines, and where appropriate take adequate action
including infringement procedures. At the same time there is, for the implementation of the Water
Framework Directive, very close co-operation on implementation between Commission, Member States
and Candidate Countries to facilitate a targeted implementation and make best use of available experience
and resources.

As for the Bathing Water Directive, it addresses water quality at locations regularly used by a large number
of bathers. For these (cid:1) approximately 20 000 locations (amongst them more than 6 000 on inland
freshwaters) (cid:1) legally binding quality objectives are set by the Directive, and regular sampling and
monitoring of bathing water quality is ensured. The Commission publishes a Union-wide report annually,
both in print and on the Internet, serving as a source of information for citizens but also contributing to
awareness in case of non-compliance. The Commission is closely following the cases of non-compliance
with set quality standards, and acting accordingly.

In conclusion, based on the facts provided in the question by the Honourable Member, the Commission
does not consider currently applicable Community environmental legislation infringed, and therefore does
not see a possibility for legal action by the Commission. In the case of receiving specific information as
regards bathing waters, the Commission would, in line with established practice, take all appropriate steps.

(1) Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment (cid:1) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(2) Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for

Community action in the field of water policy (cid:1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(3) Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1976 concerning the quality of bathing water (cid:1) OJ L 31, 5.2.1976.

(2003/C 280 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0291/03

by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 February 2003)

Subject: Illegal immigration

Knowing that:

(cid:1) a few days ago yet another illegal-immigration tragedy occurred off the Apulian coast, with a heavy

loss of life;

(cid:1) the geography and the pattern of this new form of slavery are now all too well known: the practice is
as lucrative as smuggling and it feeds an appalling trade in human beings who leave North Africa and
the Middle East in order to cross the coasts of the northern Mediterranean (in particular those of
Apulia, Sicily and Calabria) in search of illusory freedom and well-being in Europe;