WRITTEN QUESTION E-2063/03 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE)and Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Water supplies and quality of water in Greece.
Date: 2003-06-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Regional Development Fund, Greece, drinking water, hydraulic works, use of aid, water supply

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/73

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(30 July 2003)

Directive 89/297/EEC (1) does not, strictly speaking, require the use of any means of flat, continuous
protection, but does allow the use of one or more horizontal rails placed in such a way as to prevent
cyclists from being caught under a vehicle. The Directive is optional and Member States may therefore
make its application compulsory or optional in the framework of their national legislation. On 14 July
2003, the Commission proposed extending the type-approval procedure for motor vehicles covered by
Directive 70/156/EEC (2) to include heavy goods vehicles and public passenger transport vehicles on the
basis of a timetable to run from January 2006 to 2010 and by vehicle category. Once the Community
procedure is in force, Directive 89/297/EEC will then apply to all lorries and semi-trailers registered for the
first time.

With regard to cruise control devices, the Honourable Member is referred to the answer to Written
Question E-1501/03 by Mrs Van Brempt (3). The Commission is concerned about the increase in the
number of lorry accidents where the use of cruise control seems to be involved. It will endeavour to gather
objective information to enable it to assess any measures which might be necessary.

(1) Council Directive 89/297/EEC of 13 April 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to

the lateral protection (side guards) of certain motor vehicles and their trailers, OJ L 124, 5.5.1989.

(2) Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating

to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, OJ L 42, 23.2.1970.

(3) See page 48.

(2004/C 70 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2063/03

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE)
and Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 June 2003)

Subject: Water supplies and quality of water in Greece

The ‘Nea Dimokratia’ party has officially accused the Greek government of cutting off funding (established
on the basis of Greek Law 2065/92) for Public Water Supply and Sewerage Companies, thereby depriving
over 150 public companies of the funds to which they are entitled and which are vital for the execution of
projects. ‘Nea Dimokratia’ also declares that this state of affairs is creating self-evident problems, mainly in
the execution of urgent infrastructure projects: in the Mornos water conduit alone (which supplies Athens
with water) 55 km are uncovered (out of a total of 122 km), and debris, rubbish, dead animals etc. fall into
the network, creating obvious health risks for the inhabitants of Athens and even endangering their lives
(recently a small boy fell into an unprotected open water conduit and drowned).

It should be pointed out that last winter and this spring there was abundant rainfall in Greece, and it was
therefore to be expected that large volumes of water would have accumulated in tanks. Despite this, the
Greek media have been referring to the ‘risk of drought’ this summer and the ‘Water Supply and Sewerage
Company of the Capital’ has already announced a 3,5 % increase in rates.

Are the water supply infrastructure projects in Greece sufficient?

Have all the projects planned in this sector over the last ten years actually been executed?

What is the Commission’s view of the take-up of Community funds in the water supply sector in Greece?

C 70 E/74

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

Which important projects have been carried out in Greece with EU co-funding since 1994 and are fully
operational (not those which are planned or still under construction)?

Is the Commission aware that almost half the network which carries water of the Mornos to Athens is
completely uncovered?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 2003)

The Drinking Water Directive (1) sets binding objectives for the quality of drinking water at the tap and on
regular monitoring of drinking water quality in the Union, but does not specify details of design,
construction and maintenance of water distribution systems. The Water Framework Directive (2) sets the
obligation to achieve good quality (’good status’)
lakes, coastal waters and
groundwaters) by 2015, but neither entails an obligation for drinking water supply nor for details of
design, construction and maintenance of water distribution systems.

for all waters (rivers,

For water supply infrastructure work the present period is that of the 2000-2006 Community Support
Framework prepared on the basis of a proposal from the Greek authorities. It indicates at strategy level the
investments needed to improve supply to the biggest towns in Greece. Some of this investment is now
being made.

In the previous period the ERDF financed a very large number of drinking water infrastructure projects
(water collection, boreholes, conduits, purification works and above all town and commune networks) that
are now completed and in operation. Since ERDF assistance is granted by programme and not by
individual project, the Commission asks the Honourable Members to approach the Greek authorities for
more detailed information on the actual projects. In the case of projects part-financed from the Cohesion
Fund among the large towns to benefit from new water supply investment are Larisa, Volos, Patra, Livadia,
Lamia, Naoussa, Khania and of course the cities of Athens (Evinos project) and Thessaloniki (Aliakmonas
project beginning commercial operation this month).

(1) Council Directive 98/83/EEC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption,

OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.

(2) Directive 2000/60/CE du Parlement et du Conseil du 23 octobre 2000 établissant un cadre pour une politique

communautaire dans le domaine de l’eau, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2004/C 70 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2065/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI),
Marco Cappato (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Gianfranco Dell’Alba (NI)
and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

Subject: Belgian police operations on Dutch territory

(20 June 2003)

On Friday, 26 April 2003, an Italian citizen resident in Belgium was arrested at the railway station in the
town of Rosendaal in the Netherlands by a man in civilian clothing who discreetly presented himself as a
police officer (without saying from which country). The officer, after asking the person arrested whether he
had a train ticket and whether he had drugs in his possession (cannabis) and after being told that that was
the case, asked the man to board the train for Antwerp-Berchem. At that point the individual under arrest
was surrounded by at least five persons, all in civilian clothes, and put in the last first-class coach. He had
no sooner boarded the train, which was still in the station, when the police officers took all his personal
belongings,
including 13,2 g of cannabis bought for EUR 50 a few hours earlier at a coffee shop in
Rosendaal. He was then handcuffed. When the train arrived at Antwerp-Berchem station at about
7.15 p.m., he was handed over to the Belgian Federal Police and taken to the police station at Antwerp
Central railway station to be searched and questioned. While in the waiting room at the police station,
where questioning was taking place, he could hear shouting and ferocious sounds of fighting from inside.