WRITTEN QUESTION E-2236/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Disastrous environmental situation in Greece.
Date: 2003-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Greece, afforestation, conservation of resources, degradation of the environment, environmental law, environmental protection, environmental statistics, irrigation, unauthorised dumping, water management, water resources

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/95

For what concerns the safety culture, an action plan was designed after the IAEA audit and agreed with the
Dutch authority, which also regularly monitors the progresses on this issue. The action plan will be
completed in time, i.e. by the end of 2003.

For what concerns defect indications in a weld of the reactor vessel, this issue is subject of a very detailed
plan of action strictly followed by the Dutch authority and by independent experts.

For what concerns alleged technical shortcomings like that the concrete is decaying the Dutch authority
has controlled and confirmed unfounded these allegations after appropriate inspections and extended
analysis reviewed by independent bodies.

Finally, the allegation that the reactor might explode was the subject of a thorough analysis reviewed by
the Dutch authority and submitted to an independent panel of international experts. The conclusions were
that the reactor cannot explode and these conclusions were forwarded to the Dutch Parliament by the
State Secretary of Environment in January 2003.

(2004/C 78 E/0095)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2236/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Disastrous environmental situation in Greece

(7 July 2003)

According to a report published and compiled by the Greek National Environmental Centre on the so-
called ‘sustainability indicators’, the level of unmonitored waste disposal is particularly high in Greece in
comparison with other EU countries and amounts to 40 %, while the report describes the recovery of
useful materials as very low.

With regard to reforestation, it has been calculated that in Greece each year areas of 10 000 to 130 000
hectares are burnt, of which scarcely 1 500 hectares are replanted (figures from 2000), whereas in 1990
4 500 hectares were replanted.

The report also points out that the use of water and fertilisers is increasing faster than the added value of
land cultivated is farmed by organic
the agricultural products produced, while only 1 % of the total
growers.

With reference to water, the report stresses that excessive pumping from underground aquifers has
doubled in comparison with 1990 and covers over 40 % of total demand, giving rise to concerns over the
future adequacy of the water supply, particularly in view of the delays being experienced in Greece in the
construction of infrastructure projects in the water sector.

What are the data on fires and the level of reforestation, and on levels of unmonitored waste disposal in
the other EU countries? What is the proportion of organic growers in the other Member States of the
Union? Is the Commission concerned, and what approaches has it made to the Greek authorities in respect
of excessive pumping from underground aquifers in Greece and the deforestation of Greek forests, which
has been particularly marked over the last 20 years in Greece?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

The Commission has long recognised the environmental importance of forests and the fact that they can
be severely damaged by forest fires, particularly in Southern Europe.

C 78 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Although the main responsibility for the co-ordination and implementation of forest policy is at the level
of Member States, the Community has helped them in their efforts to fight against forest fires. A scheme to
protect and monitor forests against fire was established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 of
23 July 1992 (1) and expired in 2002.

The Community continues its support to Member States against forest fires through the new Regulation
‘Forest Focus’ (cid:1) still under discussion (cid:1) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on
support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (2).
These Regulations continue all the previous actions developed against forest fires, i.e. prevention measures
in the field and monitoring activities.

The Joint Research Centre has released official figures for forest fires in Greece which show that, during the
year 2001, the area burnt was below the average of recent decades and comparatively small, taking into
account the large number of fires there. The 2002 figures are still being finalised but they are expected to
show a similar decrease in the area burnt.

The Commission also has recognised the importance to increase the forest area through the support of
afforestation measures. Under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 of 30 June 1992 (3), instituting a
Community aid scheme for forestry measures in agriculture, Member States established one million
hectares of forest with the financial support of the Community. In 1999 this measure was incorporated
into Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999.

The most recent Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) publication ‘State of the World’s Forests’,
published in March 2003, shows that the forest area of Europe is slowly but continuously increasing at an
annual rate (cid:1) calculated for the period 1990-2000 (cid:1) of about + 0,1 %. The rate for Greece is + 0,9 %.
There is no official evidence to suggest a reduction of the forest area in Greece.

Statistical data that show the share of organic farming areas in Europe,
Agricultural Area), are available in the annex.

in total of UAA (Utilised

With regard to waste, the Commission does not yet have sufficient information to allow a general
overview of uncontrolled waste deposits in the Member States. However, on the basis of individual
complaints and other information received by the Commission, infringement procedures were launched
against a great number of Member States for non-respect of the Community legislation concerning its
treatment.

With regard to the over-abstraction of groundwater,
the existing Council Directive 80/68/EEC of
17 December 1979 on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous
substances (4) does not deal with this issue, which will actually be regulated under Directive 2000/60/EC of
the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in
the field of water policy (5). This Directive has to be implemented by the Member States by the end of
2003. Therefore, no infringement procedures have been launched.

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
(3) OJ L 215, 30.7.1992.
(4) OJ L 20, 26.1.1980.
(5) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2004/C 78 E/0096)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/03

by Bartho Pronk (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2003)

Subject: Follow-up to an application for a driving licence in another EU Member State

On 15 May 2003 the Commission answered my Written Question E-1269/03 (1). However, the answer is
incomplete. The Commission acknowledges that some applicants may not meet the 185-day requirement
in any Member State, but fails to deal with the second part of my question, namely what steps individuals
and Member States should take in such a case.