WRITTEN QUESTION E-2368/03 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU accession to the repopulation programme for the Iberian lynx.
Date: 2003-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Andalusia, EU aid, environmental policy, protection of animal life, wild mammal

C 58 E/164

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

(2004/C 58 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2368/03

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 July 2003)

Subject: EU accession to the repopulation programme for the Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx is in serious danger of extinction: only 200 individuals remain in all of Andalusia,
concentrated in the Doñana and the Sierra de Andújar. Breeding cubs in captivity will not solve the
problem, but is at present the most practical option.

The Spanish central government and the Andalusian regional government have therefore, as promised,
signed an agreement for the protection of the lynx. This agreement brings together all of the existing
unilateral initiatives.

Can the Commission state in what ways it would be willing to promote this agreement for the protection
of the Iberian lynx, and what form its aid could take?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(10 September 2003)

The Agreement between the Spanish Ministry of Environment and the Regional Government of Andalucía
for the conservation of the Iberian Lynx was published in the Spanish Official gazette on 11 July 2003
(Resolución de 23 de junio de 2003, de la Secretaría General de Medio Ambiente, por la que se dispone la
publicación del Convenio de Colaboración suscrito entre el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y la Junta de
Andalucía para el desarrollo de un único programa coordinado de actuaciones para la aplicación de la
Estrategia Nacional de Conservación del Lince en Andalucía).

The main objective of the Agreement is to maintain and to increase the efforts for the development of a
programme for the conservation of the Iberian Lynx in Andalucía.

Article 3 of the Agreement identifies on-going initiatives. One of these initiatives is the LIFE Nature
programme for the conservation of the Iberian Lynx in Andalucía. There is also another LIFE Nature
programme for the conservation of the Iberian Lynx in Castilla-La Mancha. The Commission is following
these two LIFE projects and participating in certain co-ordination meetings.

(2004/C 58 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2398/03

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Structural assistance for Valencia and the Ebro transfer

(21 July 2003)

According to the Court of Auditors’ Special Report No 7/2003, ten regions would not have been eligible
for Objective 1 assistance under the Structural Funds 2000-2006 had more recent statistics (1996, 1997,
1998) been used, since their GDP was more than 75 % of the Community average. The Autonomous
Community of Valencia is one of those regions.

This is a serious situation because:

(a)

(b)

in the more developed areas of the Spain’s eastern seaboard like Valencia, the high level of undeclared
labour (the highest in Spain and even in Europe at percentages of over 30 %) tends to deflate the real
income level (1), meaning that the actual level of development is even higher than is suggested by the
statistics, regardless of whether or not they are up-to-date;

the fact that the highest rates of undeclared labour are in developed areas such as Valencia testifies to
a degree of misgovernment which is now also being reflected in the application for EU funding for the
project to transfer water from the River Ebro to eastern seaboard areas. Valencia (cid:1) which has already
received funding to which it is not entitled and which has used this to promote activities that call for