WRITTEN QUESTION E-3338/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Environmental protection for the Peschiera springs.
Date: 2003-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Latium, environmental impact, environmental protection, financing, groundwater, land use, project evaluation, water resources

C 78 E/802

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0851)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3318/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject: Issuing of EUR 1 banknotes

In its answer to my question No E-2628/02 (1), the Commission states that ‘The possibility of EUR 1 or
EUR 2 notes has no real support anywhere other than in Greece and Italy and comes up against strong
opposition in some countries’. The recent meeting (7 October 2003) of the eurozone Ministers for
Economic Affairs and Finance at the European Central Bank discussed speeding up the process of
introducing a EUR 1 banknote.

Can the Commission specify the date on which EUR 1 banknotes will be issued?

(1) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 30.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 2003)

According to Article 106(1) of the EC Treaty, the European Central Bank (ECB) has the exclusive right to
authorise the issue of euro banknotes. Decisions on banknote denominations are therefore the
responsibility of the ECB.

The Governing Council of the ECB decided on 24 April 2003 to put on hold the decision on the use of
very low-denomination banknotes on the following grounds:

(cid:1) a change in the denominational structure of the banknotes and coins shortly after the cash changeover
is not advisable in view of the significant adaptation costs economic agents had to bear due to the
cash changeover in 2002;

(cid:1) the Eurosystem acknowledges the existence of some public support for the introduction of low-

denomination euro banknotes, although limited, at this stage;

(cid:1) the issuance of very low-denomination euro banknotes should be considered only after a few years

when more experience on the use of euro banknotes and coins is available.

If a low-denomination banknote were issued, this would imply a parallel circulation between the same coin
and banknote denomination. The ECB will reconsider this subject in autumn 2004.

(2004/C 78 E/0852)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3338/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Environmental protection for the Peschiera springs

A few months ago the municipality of Cittaducale in the province of Rieti drew up a preliminary contract
of sale, to be completed before the end of the year, for the transfer of 32 hectares of land to the Italian
company ACEA S.p.A.

This piece of land in the mountains contains one of the oldest mineral water springs in the country and an
ancient cedar wood. However, the municipal administration has undertaken to turn the existing wood into
an area of high forest, without taking account of the characteristics of the terrain and the hydrogeological
impact, which might undermine the stability of the mountainside.

Furthermore, it is unclear what use the buyer will make of the water resource, which is one of the most
important in the whole Rieti area.

However,
the Community institutions have for many years been committed to safeguarding and
conserving the environment, as is shown by the Council’s common position of 13 June 2003 with a
view to the adoption of a framework regulation called ‘Forest Focus’.

27.3.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/803

In view of all this, can the Commission say:

1. whether all the measures envisaged in Article 174 of the EC Treaty have been adopted;

2. whether there is any funding to safeguard water resources;

3. what the situation is overall?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 December 2003)

Based on the environmental chapter of the EC Treaty, the Union has adopted comprehensive legislation in
the field of water resources protection, nature protection and environmental impact assessment.

Water resources protection: the Water Framework Directive (1) of 2000 establishes a protection of all
waters, rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater, with a legally binding obligation to achieve/maintain
good status for all waters and to prohibit any deterioration of water status.

With a view to the aquifer addressed by the Honourable Member, it is important that groundwater status is
defined in terms of chemical purity and of quantity. Measures of whatever nature leading to over-
abstraction or to a lowering of the groundwater table are, as a rule not permitted.

Nature protection: the Peschiera springs at Cittaducale are subject to specific protection under the Habitats
Directive (2): they are included in a site proposed by Italy as a site of Community importance (3). The site is,
therefore, subject to the provisions of the Directive, in particular Article 6(2): the Member State has to take
appropriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of the species for which
the site has been proposed, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of
the Directive. Approval of projects or plans that might have a significant impact on the site must follow
the procedure set out in Article 6(3) and (4).

Environmental impact assessment: projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue,
‘inter alia’, of their nature, size or location, are subject to an impact assessment under the Environmental
Impact Assessment Directive (4) before development consent is given. The Directive provides for a list of
projects where Member States have to determine (cid:1) either through a case by case examination or
according to thresholds or criteria (cid:1) whether the project is likely to have significant effects on the
environment. The relevant list (5) of projects contains,
‘inter alia’, certain afforestation measures ‘initial
afforestation for the purposes of conversion to another type of land use’. Further information would be
required on the intentions of the municipal administration to finally assess whether those measures fall
within the scope of the Directive.

Forest Focus: the proposal for a Parliament and Council Regulation (6) concerning monitoring of forests in
the Community (Forest Focus) aims at contributing to the protection of forests by means of monitoring
and preventive measures against forest fires. It is therefore not applicable in this case.

Funding of measures to protect water resources: the Treaty stipulates that Member States shall finance the
environment policy. However, a range of Community funding measures, such as Structural and Regional
Policy, Common Agricultural Policy and the LIFE Financial Instrument, may contribute to financing water
resources protection.

(1) Directive 2000/60/EEC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.
(2) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(3) Site IT6020012, ‘Piana di S. Vittorino (cid:1) Sorgenti del Peschiera’.
(4) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985, OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of
3 March 1997, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 73,
14.3.1997.

(5) Annex II of Directive 85/337/EEC as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC.
(6) Due to recent votes by Parliament and Council, legislative coordinates not yet available, OJ C 20 E, 28.1.2003.