WRITTEN QUESTION E-0419/03 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Spanish National Hydrological Plan (NHP): Júcar-Vinalopó transfer scheme.
Date: 2003-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Spain, environmental impact, operational programme, water management in agriculture, water protection

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/131

(2003/C 242 E/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0419/03

by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Spanish National Hydrological Plan (NHP): Júcar-Vinalopó transfer scheme

The construction scheme for transferring water from the basin of the river Júcar to that of the Vinalopó
was approved as part of the Júcar Basin Hydrological Plan, and ratified in Annex II of the NHP in July
2001. The course to be followed by the transfer channel runs parallel to the existing Tagus-Segura link,
and converges with the planned transfer of the Ebro to the Spanish south-east. The water transfer is
designed to develop new irrigation areas for heavily subsidised continental crops in the upper and middle
reaches of the Júcar, as well as unsustainable tourist and urban development. All this will have increased
negative repercussions on the lower reaches of the Júcar and the Albufera, and on the quality of Valencia’s
water supplies. The scheme’s environmental impact assessment did not assess alternatives, nor take account
of these and other problems, such as environmental impact on the Natura 2000 Network and areas of
ornithological importance.

On 4 October, the Spanish Government asked the Commission to cofund the project (EUR 54 million).
The Commission indicated that its reply would be given within three months, i.e. before 4 January 2003.
Without waiting for the EU decision, the Spanish Prime Minister laid the first stone of the new channel on
14 November 2002.

Can the Commission tell me what stage has been reached with regard to processing this request for aid?

Has the Commission made any assessment of the project and of the accompanying environmental impact
study?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2003)

The project in question was presented for Community financing as a major project under the operational
programme for the region of Valencia, and an environmental impact study was carried out.

The Commission has requested further information from the Spanish authorities, but to date they have not
provided it.

We will inform the Honourable Member of their reply as soon as we receive it.

(2003/C 242 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0435/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Interests of the railway companies in restricting cross-border passengers from embarking and

disembarking

1.
Is the Commission aware that more and more frequently railway companies are stipulating that the
staging points on long-distance cross-border passenger train routes are either stations of embarkation or
disembarkation, which means that passengers are now prohibited from travelling to embarkation stations
or leaving from disembarkation stations; these measures are reinforced by not providing information about
the stopping times and platform numbers of the trains concerned at the relevant stations?

2.
Is the Commission also aware that the measures described in paragraph 1 are not restricted to
passengers making short domestic journeys who are directed to another train which will soon be stopping
at the same station, but that they also apply to cross-border journeys on routes hundreds of kilometres
long where the volume of passenger traffic is low?