WRITTEN QUESTION E-2054/03 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Degradation of Special Protection Area (SPA) IT5210070 — Lake Trasimeno (Italy).
Date: 2003-06-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Italy, co-financing, degradation of the environment, environmental impact, impact study, infringement procedure (EU), lake, protected area

C 51 E/190

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

1. Member States are obliged to establish inventories on equipment with polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCB) volumes of more than five cubic decimetres (5 dm3) and to submit a summary of such inventory to
the Commission pursuant to Article 4 of Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the
disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT) (1). The Greek Authorities
did not complete the inventory. On 5 June 2003 the Court of Justice condemned Greece for failing to
draw up, within the prescribed period, summaries of inventories of equipment with PCB volumes of more
than 5 dm3 (case C-83/02) (2).

The incomplete data submitted by Greece contains a contribution of 56 % of the Prefectural governments
and regions. It displays 303 number of units containing 11 884 condensers and 979 condensers/units in
storage (3).

Following a communication from the United Nations Environment Programme (4),

‘PCBs bio-
2.
accumulate in the fatty tissues of exposed animals and humans (Ponnambalam 1998; Neumeier 1998;
Fiedler 1997) and this exposure is believed to be responsible for a wide variety of health effects. Acute
exposures to high levels of PCBs have been associated with skin rashes, itching and burning, eye irritation,
skin and fingernail pigmentation changes disturbances in liver function and the immune system, irritation
of the respiratory tract, headaches, dizziness, depression, memory loss, nervousness, fatigue, and impotence
(Environment Canada 1985). Chronic effects of low-level PCB exposures reported include liver damage,
reproductive and developmental effects, and possibly cancer’.

In June 2003 the Commission received three more written questions (5) from Members of the
3.
Parliament concerning the same incident referred to by the Honourable Member. According to the
information at the Commission’s disposal, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that Greece has
infringed any Community environmental legislation (apart from the above-mentioned judgement of the
Court of Justice).

(1) OJ L 243, 24.9.1996.
(2) Letter from 29.3.2003 from the Permanent Greek Presentation to the Commission.
(3) See answer to Written Question E-2025/03, See page 182. Letter from 29.3.2003 from the Permanent Greek

Presentation to the Commission.

(4) UNEP: Guidelines for the Identification of PCBs and Materials Containing PCBs. First Issue August 1999, pp. 3-4.
(5) Written Questions E-1999/03, E-2025/03 and E-2062/03.

(2004/C 51 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2054/03

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 June 2003)

Subject: Degradation of Special Protection Area (SPA) IT5210070 (cid:1) Lake Trasimeno (Italy)

It emerges from a communication of 18 October 2002 that the Commission has initiated infringement
proceedings (proceeding no. 2002/4342) against Italy over degradation of habitat and disruption to species
within Special Protection Area IT5210070 (cid:1) Lake Trasimeno, a situation caused by activities cofinanced
by European funding under the rural development programmes.

This disruption is particularly worrying, given that, as part of the first phase of the project, 1 596 m2 of
marsh reeds, 4 224 m2 of hygrophylous scrub, 6 424 m2 of mixed vegetation, and 6 552 m2 of humid
grassland have already been destroyed to make way for a path (2,5 m wide and 15,67 km long), which is
planned to be around 57 km in length on completion, equal to the entire perimeter of Lake Trasimeno,
leaving no virgin area on its shores where protected wildlife could reproduce or establish itself.

The project in question, cofinanced by the EU, was clearly drawn up without an environmental impact
assessment, and represents a further breach of Directive 92/43/EEC (1), despite the recent ruling against
Italy by the Court of Justice (C-143/02).

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/191

As a result, the courts have already ruled twice against those carrying out the work, on the grounds of the
serious damage caused to the environment and the countryside.

Can the Commission state what stage the above infringement proceedings have reached and whether it has
taken steps to suspend EU cofinancing for the project pending establishment of the facts?

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora provides for the protection of Sites of Community Importance that will, according to
the procedure laid down in the Directive, be designated as Special Conservation Areas. The obligations
contained in Article 6 apply to all the authorities of Member States, at national, regional or local level.
In particular, under Article 6(3),
‘any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the
management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination
with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in
view of the site’s conservation objectives.’

The provision mentioned above applies to Sites of Community Importance (SCI) under Directive 92/43/
EEC and Special Protection Areas (SPA) under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the
conservation of wild birds (1).

Italy informed the Commission, in its reply to the letter of formal notice mentioned by the Honourable
Member, that an ‘ex post’ assessment of the project for a 14 kilometre (km) cycling path in the SPA
IT5210070 ‘Lago Trasimeno’ was conducted under Article 6(3) of Directive 92/43/EEC. After examining
the Italian reply, the Commission considers that the project mentioned above is ‘not likely’ to have a
the
significant
implications of the project on the mentioned SPA is not required under Article 6(3) of Directive 92/43/
EEC.

impact on the SPA IT5210070 ‘Lago Trasimeno’. Therefore, a full assessment of

In light of the above, the Commission concludes that no breach of Directive 92/43/EEC can be identified
as regards this specific aspect of the case.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2004/C 51 E/212)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2061/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Pollution and noise pollution levels in Greek schools

(20 June 2003)

According to research carried out by the Chemistry Department of Athens University which was published
in the Greek press, ventilation is inadequate in 75 % of the school buildings inspected, concentrations of
carbon dioxide were found above the ceiling of 1 800 mg/m3, high levels of formaldehyde were detected
and maximum permissible noise levels were exceeded. The research covered 20 building with natural
ventilation in ten different public schools in Athens. The researchers were particularly concerned by the
fact that concentrations of carbon dioxide were above the highest permissible levels set by the American
guide to indoor air quality (1 800 mg/m3) and in some cases were even in excess of 3 000 mg/m3.

The concentration of formaldehyde was also a cause for concern (in excess of 0,1 mg/m3, the highest
permissible level). This is due to the frequent use of boards made of wood particles (Novopan) in the
construction of desks and partitions between buildings.