WRITTEN QUESTION E-3082/03 by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission. Alleged Israeli dumping of toxic waste in Palestine.
Date: 2003-10-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Israel, Palestine question, hazardous waste, storage of waste

C 88 E/450

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(2004/C 88 E/0459)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3081/03

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(20 October 2003)

Subject: Sewage systems in Palestine

Only 37,5 % of Palestinian homes are connected to a sewage system. This creates a serious environmental
hazard.

Is the Commission aware of the effect that this has on the health of Palestinians? What action is it taking
to address this issue?

(2004/C 88 E/0460)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3082/03

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(20 October 2003)

Subject: Alleged Israeli dumping of toxic waste in Palestine

Is the Commission aware that Israel
is accused of dumping toxic waste on Palestinian settlements, a
violation of the Oslo II Palestinian-Israeli agreement? Will it take action against Israel to prevent further
violation of this agreement? If not, why not?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3080/03, e-3081/03 and E-3082/03
given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Together with the Member States, the Commission accounts for almost half of all financial assistance to
the Palestinians and is the single-most important donor. The objective of its assistance is to strengthen the
institutions of a future Palestinian State whilst at the same time addressing the most urgent needs of the
Palestinian population.

In close co-operation with other international donors, the Commission addresses the general problem of
basic services in health, education, relief and social services as well as the more specific problem of
insufficient water supply and treatment, and waste through a number of projects on the ground. By
contributing about EUR 60 million/year to the regular budget of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
the Commission supports
UNRWA’s work on municipal and regional utility issues which provides water, wastewater, and solid waste
services to the refugee population.

for example,

(UNRWA)

In addition, through its EUR 30 million emergency support programme for Palestinian municipalities
which is currently being implemented,
the Commission helps rehabilitate basic public services in
municipalities in the West Bank and Gaza. Projects implemented under this programme are for instance
the replacement of water pipes in Bethlehem, and the rehabilitation of roads including the construction of
a new sewage system in Gaza.

Moreover, the Commission considers water to be an important element in the Middle East Peace Process. It
has supported the work of the EU’s Special Representative on the water issue financially and politically and
actively participates in a sub-working group of the Council on this issue. It has also launched a regional
project,
involving Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian governmental water institutions and authorities, to
develop a real time monitoring system of water resources with the aim of improving capabilities for
preventing and managing critical changes in drainage areas and river basins, the Regional Water Data
Banks Project (RWDB).

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/451

The Commission is aware of reports alleging that Israel has released quantities of hazardous waste without
treatment in the West Bank and Gaza. We are also conscious of the lack of infrastructure in the Palestinian
Territories to process hazardous waste and to separate hazardous from non-hazardous waste. The
Commission has been in contact with the United Nations Environment Programme on their Desk Study of
January 2003 on the environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Desk Study addressed the
question of alleged dumping, but did not reach any conclusions. It recommended to conduct a field study
to collect evidence on this matter.

(2004/C 88 E/0461)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3110/03

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Withdrawal of Community funding for the Juan XXIII project in Alicante (Spain)

The Finance Ministry recently notified Alicante Town Council of the formal decision taken by the
Commission to suspend ERDF funding for the rehabilitation of the Juan XXIII district of Alicante.

Why has the Commission withdrawn the Community support for the project?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2003)

The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that the project for the rehabilitation of the Juan
XXIII district of Alicante to which she refers was not included in any proposal to the Commission for part-
financing under the Structural Funds.

The Commission contacted the authorities at the Ministry of Finance responsible for the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Spain, who confirm that this project was not put forward for
Community part-financing under the local operational programme (2000-2006) for reasons relating to
compliance with the Community rules on public procurement.

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that,
in accordance with the principle of
subsidiarity, the Member States have sole responsibility for the selection of individual projects in each
programme for part-financing under the Structural Funds and for their implementation.

(2004/C 88 E/0462)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3132/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Cuba (cid:1) Sakharov Initiative

On 4 September 2003, during the September part-session, the European Parliament adopted a resolution
on Cuba by an overwhelming majority. Paragraph 12 of this resolution reads:

12. Asks that Mr Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in
2002, be officially invited to Europe at the earliest opportunity in order to meet in person with the EU
Presidency, the High Representative for the CFSP, the President of the Commission and the relevant
Commissioners; supports the decision taken by its Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights,
Common Security and Defence Policy to invite Mr Sardiñas, and asks the Cuban authorities not to
prevent his presence.