WRITTEN QUESTION E-2325/03 by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL)and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Environmental rehabilitation at Portman Bay (Cartagena, Spain).
Date: 2003-07-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Region of Murcia, Spain, application of EU law, decontamination, environmental law, polluted area, quality of the environment, urbanisation

C 65 E/132

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

None of the twelve officials went to Eurostat upon leaving OLAF or subsequently.

The Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that since leaving OLAF, none of the officials
have dealt with or have current connection with matters relating to Eurostat.

The Commission also wishes to remind the Honourable Member that the Director General of OLAF is the
appointing authority for staff in OLAF.

(2004/C 65 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2325/03

by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL)
and Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 July 2003)

Subject: Environmental rehabilitation at Portman Bay (Cartagena, Spain)

Between 1959 and 1989, millions of tonnes of waste were dumped in Portman Bay (Cartagena, Spain),
creating a layer of slime estimated to occupy 13 m cubic metres and causing the shoreline to recede
(by 300 metres since 1957).

Experts consulted state that the waste contains sulphur, arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc.

It is clear that the Commission is aware of the situation, as the regional government of Murcia has in the
past asked for financial support from the EU for environmental rehabilitation projects for the bay.

The Portman residents’ association has expressed its concern over a new development plan for the locality
which includes no provision for the total or partial rehabilitation of the polluted areas of the bay.

Is the Commission aware of this development project at the pollution-affected Portman Bay? Has EU
funding been requested for this new project? Can the Commission state, with reference to the case in
the competent authorities are properly applying the Community environmental
question, whether
legislation?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2003)

The Commission is aware of the situation reported by the Honourable Members.

In fact, it has already handled a complaint concerning plans to use mining waste from Portman Bay as a
filling material for the port expansion project at Escombreras, located a few kilometres from the bay, for
which the Spanish authorities had requested Community financing.

In this case, the Commission informed the Spanish authorities that the waste could not be used for the
proposed expansion, and it did not therefore grant Community aid to the project. The Spanish authorities
subsequently assured the Commission that waste from the bay would not be used for the port expansion
project. The Commission therefore closed the case.

The Commission then received a new complaint regarding degradation of the Sierra de Cartagena caused
by the old mining waste located in the bay.

During the examination of the new complaint, and following an exchange of correspondence between the
Commission and the Spanish authorities, the latter forwarded a voluminous study on the bay rehabilitation
project, with three alternatives. Whichever alternative the authorities eventually choose for
the
rehabilitation of the bay, as things stand from the legal point of view this is an old dumping site to

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/133

which Community law does not apply. Accordingly, there is no infringement because the bay has not been
restored. The complainant has been informed of this and told that the departments involved intend to
propose that the Commission close the complaint file for lack of evidence that the applicable Community
law has been infringed.

The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities for information on the possibility of the project being
co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund or from the Cohesion Fund, but has yet to
receive their reply.

(2004/C 65 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2327/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 July 2003)

Subject: System for paying compensation for mountainous and disadvantaged regions in Greece

It has been reported that, as part of the payment of compensation for mountainous and disadvantaged
regions in Greece, a system for measuring agricultural land has been adopted which fails to take into
account the structure of the terrain. Farmers and stockbreeders consider that the system in question is
unfair to them, since it ignores hillocks and depressions, so that the overall area registered is substantially
smaller than it should be.

Will the Commission give its views on this matter and say whether this system was adopted on its own
initiative or on that of the Greek government?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2003)

The question referred to above concerns the system used for measuring agricultural land for the payment
of compensation for mountainous and disadvantaged regions in Greece which, failing to consider the
topological structure of the terrain, seems to penalise farmers and stockbreeders whose parcels present
hillocks and depressions, not taken into account in the measurement of the area.

In the first place, it should be noted that the issue of area measurement does not relate alone to the
compensatory allowances for less-favoured areas, but more generally to all kinds of Community grants
paid on the basis of surfaces of agricultural land. In fact, the control system required for the determination
of the areas eligible for aid under the Common Agricultural Policy is based on an Integrated Administrative
and Control System (IACS) (cid:1) and, in particular, a Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) (cid:1) which, under
Community legislation, all Member States are required to have in place.

Under the specific Regulations relating to the IACS (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3508/1992 of
27 November 1992 establishing an integrated administration and control system for certain Community
aid schemes (1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 2419/2001 of 11 December 2001 laying down
detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid
schemes established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3508/92 (2)), Member States are required to measure
land parcels. Article 22(1) of Regulation 2419/2001 relating to the IACS provides that:

Agricultural parcel areas shall be determined by any appropriate means defined by the competent
authority which ensure measurement of a precision at least equivalent to that required for official
measurements under the national rules. The competent authority shall set a tolerance margin taking
account of the measuring method used, the accuracy of the official documents available, local factors
such as slope and shape of parcel and the provisions of paragraph 2.