WRITTEN QUESTION E-0395/03 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Building work in the IJmeer near Uitdam.
Date: 2003-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, application of EU law, environmental impact, environmental law, environmental protection, harbour installation, protected area

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/127

3.

4.

If so, what is the Commission’s view of these facts?

Does the Commission hold a general position regarding its employees’ past secret service activities?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 2003)

1. Mr Morten Jung-Olsen was appointed Head of Unit for Unit C/1 ‘Bulgaria’ of General Direction
Enlargment (ELARG) in November 2001, in full compliance with the existing rules regarding appoint-
ments.

He was appointed by the Director General for Enlargement, in line with the decentralised procedure on
selection and appointment of Heads of Unit which has been in operation in the Commission since April
2001 and which provides that the appointing authority is the Director General concerned.

2. Mr Jung-Olsen has been acquitted of any allegations against him. As the Honourable Member will
know, it is a basic rule in democracies that detention does not carry a presumption of guilt and that legal
acquittal gives valid proof of the standing of an individual.

3.

The Commission has full confidence in Mr Jung-Olsen.

4.
Article 27 of the Staff Regulations provides that ‘recruitment shall be directed to securing for the
institution the services of officials of the highest standard of ability, efficiency and integrity […]’. To this
end, officials must, upon entry into service, produce, inter alia, the appropriate character references, which
are generally provided by the relevant authorities of the Member State of which he or she is a national.
Recruitment does not take place if the person concerned is not able to produce these references.

(2003/C 242 E/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0395/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Building work in the IJmeer near Uitdam

It would appear from the draft regional development plan for southern North Holland that the North
Holland Provincial Council
is about to authorise the building of a combined marina and large-scale
housing project for permanent recreational use in the IJmeer near Uitdam. This project is situated entirely
outside the dyke and thus entirely within the IJmeer, which is protected under the European Birds
Directive.

The project does not involve a small campsite with tents, but rather the construction of a large-scale
holiday centre (250 accommodation units) and the establishment of a marina (450 harbours), as a result of
which the habitat of birds and other fauna and flora in and near the IJmeer will be reduced permanently
by some 3 hectares. It is highly likely that the damage will be substantial. Should this indeed be the case,
either the project cannot go ahead as planned or the Netherlands Government will have to take
compensatory measures elsewhere so as to ensure that the total habitat for birds and other protected fauna
and flora is not reduced in size.

Does the European Commission share my view that the Netherlands authorities should investigate whether
the combined project to build a marina, together with a large-scale holiday accommodation complex for
permanent recreational use will not cause significant ecological damage in the IJmeer?

What view does the European Commission take of the planned project?

C 242 E/128

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2003)

Following Article 6, Paragraph 3, of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1) (‘Habitats Directive’), which, pursuant to its Article 7, also
applies to Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979
on the conservation of wild birds (2), any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the
management of such a site but likely to have a significant effect thereon shall be subject to appropriate
assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives.

The SPA ‘IJmeer’ has a total area of ca 7 400 hectares (ha). The planned building project mentioned by the
Honourable Member will directly affect an area of about three hectares within the Special Protection Area.
In order to be able to decide whether or not the full protection regime under Article 6, paragraphs 3 and 4,
of Directive 92/43/EEC applies to this project, it must indeed be investigated if the project is likely to have
a significant effect on the site. This investigation will have to be carried out by the Dutch authorities. The
information provided by the Honourable Member does not allow by itself to conclude if any significant
effects are likely to occur or not.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2003/C 242 E/133)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0404/03

by Brian Simpson (PSE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Transport infrastructure charging

Can the Commission indicate when the communication on infrastructure charging within the transport
sector will be submitted to Parliament?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2003)

A draft Communication is currently being finalised within the Commission. This draft Communication
comprises three parts: a common methodology for infrastructure charging, a new approach for financing
of
for a
Directive on interoperability of electronic road charging. The Communication is planned to be presented
to the Parliament this Spring.

including public-private partnerships and a proposal

the Trans-European Networks (TENs)

(2003/C 242 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0407/03

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Subject: Classification of the oil tanker Stemnitsa, operating in the Baltic, as an ice class vessel

This winter, the oil tanker Stemnitsa, sailing under the Greek flag and operated by the Greek shipping line
Minerva Maríne, has on numerous occasions operated in the Baltic in exceptionally difficult ice conditions.
It loads 100 000 tons at a time of Russian crude oil at the new oil terminal in Primorsk, Russia, towards
the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland. The tanker has been classified by the American Bureau of Shipping
as an ice class vessel, but according to Finnish experts its ice pressure resistance is not sufficient to cope
with the particularly demanding conditions in the Gulf of Finland. Mainly on account of Russia’s new oil