WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/03 by José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE), Jean Lambert (Verts/ALE)and Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Granting of oil prospecting permits from the Atlantic off the coasts of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Date: 2003-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Canary Islands, Spain, application of EU law, environmental impact, environmental protection, exploitation of the sea-bed, petroleum exploration, protected area

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/101

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2003)

Following the exercise Simplification of Legislation on the Internal Market IV (SLIM)
in relation to
Community legislation on pre-packaging, the Commission has carried out an extended Business Impact
Assessment. Part of this exercise is an Internet consultation, based on a publicly available working paper,
by which the Commission seeks the input of stakeholders, so as to come to a final position.

This consultation has just been finished, and the Commission is now in the process of analysing the
results. As already indicated in the contacts with stakeholders, the Commission will keep them informed of
their findings and the possibility will be offered to further discuss any matters before the Commission
formulates a final position.

(2003/C 268 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/03

by José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE), Jean Lambert (Verts/ALE)
and Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Granting of oil prospecting permits

from the Atlantic off

the coasts of Lanzarote and

Fuerteventura

Spanish Royal Decree 1462/2000 (1) granted Repsol Investigaciones Petrolíferas, S.A. (RIPSA) hydrocarbon
prospecting permits for the Atlantic off the coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, for a six year period.
These are new areas, classified respectively as Canarias 1 to Canarias 9, covering 616 060 hectares. The
permits have been granted pursuant to Law 34/1998 of 7 October, on the hydrocarbons sector. The only
documentation, other than plans and references, submitted by the company when requesting permits, was
its ‘programme of work and investment’. Repsol submitted no research project whatever, nor an
impact assessment, nor any memorandum of any kind on environmental protection
environmental
measures. Royal Decree 1462/2001,
regarding the
environment. The prospecting permits concern international waters, and involve an activity which,
pursuant to international treaties and agreements, is specifically subject to prior assessment of environ-
mental impact. To all this we need to add the fact that the island of Lanzarote has been declared to be a
Biosphere Reserve (2).

furthermore, contains no conditions whatever

Installing platforms represents a high risk to fisheries and biodiversity both of the marine environment and
the Canary coast, and would, inevitably, be a negative development as far as tourism is concerned. As for
their proposed location, the grids are only a few kilometres from various Special Bird Protection Areas and
Sites of Community Importance (3). Both Directive 97/11/EC (4) of 3 March 1997 and Royal Decree-Law
9/2000 of 6 October make it obligatory to carry out an environmental impact assessment for all oil and
natural gas extraction projects for commercial purposes.

Does the Commission not believe that Royal Decree 1462/2001 infringes Directive 97/11/EC since the
the environmental
decision to grant permits was not preceded by a transparent assessment of
repercussions of the prospecting permits, exploratory activities and drilling activities?

Can the Commission guarantee that the Sites of Community Importance listed above are not affected by
these prospecting permits, and that the Spanish Government will apply Article 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC (5),

C 268 E/102

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

which lays down that any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of a
Site of Community Importance, but
to
appropriate assessment of its implications for such sites?

likely to have a significant effect

thereon, shall be subject

(1) Boletin Ofifical del Estado (BOE) of 23 January 2002.
(2) Declared a Biosphere Reserve of a land surface of 847 km2 and a maritime area of 387 km2 under the Unesco MAB

(3)

programme on 7 October 1993.
In Lanzarote: bird protection areas on the islands of Lanzarote and Risco de Famara; an orthinologically important
area of Llanos de la Corona-laas Honduras; and the Sites of Community Importance Archipiélago Chinijo
(ES010045), Los Islotes (ES010044), Sebadales de la Graciosa (ES7010020), La Corona (ES010047), Los Jameos
(ES010054), Sebadales de Gauasimeta (ES7010021) and Cagafrecho (ES7011002) and in Fuerteventura: Bird
Protection Areas of Isla de Lobos, Jable de Corralejo, Macizo de Pozo Negro-Vigán, Playa de Sotavento and
Península de Jandía;; and the Sites of Community Importance of Islote de Lobos (ES010031), Corralejo (ES010032),
Sebadales de Corralejo (ES010022), Pozo Negro (ES0000096) y Playa de Sotavento de Jandía (ES010035).

(4) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997, p. 5.
(5) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 March 2003)

the Honourable Members question the Commission on the possible failure of

Firstly,
the Spanish
authorities to apply Directive 85/337/EEC (1), as amended by Directive 97/11/EC (2), properly in relation to
the granting of oil prospecting permits for
the coast of Lanzarote and
the Atlantic Ocean off
Fuerteventura.
It should be pointed out first of all that the abovementioned Directive applies to the
projects listed in Annexes I and II. Oil prospecting is not listed in those annexes and, as a consequence,
Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended by Directive 97/11/EC, does not appear to apply in the case in
question.

As regards the application of Directive 92/43/EEC (3) in the case under consideration, the Commission, in
its role of guardian of the treaties, will contact the Spanish authorities as soon as possible to ensure
compliance with the obligations under that Directive regarding the protection of habitats and species.

(1) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private

projects on the environment, OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

(2) Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC, OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.
(3) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2003/C 268 E/103)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0455/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Food allergies and restaurant ingredients

With reference to my previous question E-2809/2 (1) and the answer provided by Commissioner Byrne on
12 November 2002, I ask the Commission, who is the ultimate consumer of foodstuffs if it is not the
restaurant’s client, i.e. the person who eats the meal?

Could the Commission confirm the minimum size of print on food packaging with regard to ingredient
labelling?

(1) OJ C 52 E, 6.3.2003, p. 218.