WRITTEN QUESTION P-0293/04 by María Bergaz Conesa (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Threat to the Güe springs from the construction of the Puente del Arco to El Condado section of the AS 17 highway (Asturias, Spain).
Date: 2004-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, environmental impact, groundwater, impact study, road building, water protection

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/355

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Pursuant to Council Decision of 30 November 1993 (1), the Commission receives information on road
accidents and has since July 2002 published detailed statistics on the Europa website (2).

There is a great disparity between the Member States: those with the best results (the Netherlands, Sweden,
the United Kingdom) record around 60 to 65 deaths per million inhabitants per year, in contrast to 160 to
180 deaths in the countries with the poorest results (Greece and Portugal). The average for the European
Union (EU15) is around 105 deaths per million inhabitants per year.

Concerning the factors explaining these differences, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member
to the recent European Action Programme for Road Safety, adopted by the Commission in 2003 (3).
Generally speaking, the greatest scope for improvement lies in road-user behaviour, though the road
infrastructure could also be greatly improved in several Member States.

Substantial improvements have been recorded in France (a 22 % reduction in the number of deaths in
2003 compared with 2002), Ireland (− 10 %), Italy (− 17 % (4)) and Portugal (− 11 % (5)). The reductions are
mainly due to improved road-user behaviour, whether because of
increased awareness or better
enforcement of the rules (more controls, tougher penalties imposed more effectively). According to
provisional, indicative figures, the number of deaths in EU15 in 2003 should be under 35 500 in contrast
to 38 500 en 2002 and almost 40 000 in 2001.

(1) Council Decision of 30 November 1993 on the creation of a Community database on road accidents, OJ L 329,

30.12.1993.

(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/road/roadsafety/index_en.htm, heading road safety/CARE
(3)

‘Halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010: A shared responsibility’, Commission
communication, COM(2003) 311 final.
January-September 2003/January-September 2002.
January-August 2003/January-August 2002.

(4)
(5)

(2004/C 84 E/0413)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0293/04

by María Bergaz Conesa (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject: Threat to the Güe springs from the construction of the Puente del Arco to El Condado section of

the AS 17 highway (Asturias, Spain)

When work began on the Puente del Arco to El Condado section of the AS 17 highway (Asturias, Spain),
it was discovered that the plan chosen by the competent authorities might cause irreparable damage to the
Güe springs, which provide drinking water for over 11 000 local inhabitants.

In its answer to Written Question P-1825/03 (1) on this subject, the Commission stated that: ‘In any event,
it appears that the project has undergone environmental impact assessment. It should be noted, however,
that Directive 85/337/EEC (2) does not specify the criteria by which a project is to be selected from among
the alternative solutions which have been examined, provided the chosen project has been properly
assessed.’

In the light of this fresh information relating to the Güe springs, does the Commission consider the route
selected by the Spanish authorities to be the best one from an environmental viewpoint?

Does it not consider, in view of current Community legislation on the protection of groundwater, that an
alternative route which does not endanger those springs should be adopted?

Will the Commission ask the competent authorities to provide it with all the information relating to this
matter?

(1) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004, p. 174.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

C 84 E/356

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2004)

According to available information, the project that the Honourable Member brings to the attention of the
Commission for the third time consists in the conditioning of a three kilometre section of an existing road.
It should be noted that this kind of project is not included in any of the Annexes of Council Directive 85/
337/EEC (1). The Spanish authorities have, nonetheless, submitted this project to an impact assessment
procedure. The ‘Environmental Impact Declaration’ (Declaración de Impacto Ambiental) clearly states that
no impact on groundwater is foreseeable in relation with this project.

Furthermore, Directive 85/337/EEC does not establish any criteria for Member States to follow when
determining which alternative to choose once the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure has been
carried out. For this reason,
it is not for the Commission to express its views on the environmental
suitability of the chosen route.

In addition, current Community legislation on the protection of groundwater does not contain any
provisions that apply to the present case, as this legislation only aims at preventing and, when possible,
reducing the pollution of groundwater by substances contained in lists I or II of the Annex to Directive 80/
68/EEC (2).

Therefore there is no evidence of an infringement of Community environmental law in this case.

(1) Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private
projects on the environment, OJ L 175, 5.7.1985 as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997,
OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2) Council Directive 80/68/EEC of 17 December 1979 on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by

certain dangerous substances, OJ L 20, 26.1.1980.

(2004/C 84 E/0414)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0298/04

by Bob van den Bos (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 February 2004)

Subject: Relations between the EU and Libya and human rights in Libya

Libya is doing its utmost to become reintegrated into the international community. In September 2003,
the UN sanctions against Libya were lifted. In recent years there has been a rapprochement between the
EU and President Gaddafi. The President of the Commission, Mr Prodi, says that by means of his talks with
the President he wishes to improve these mutual relations. On 30 December 2003, he invited Libya to join
the Barcelona process, in response to which Colonel Gaddafi stated that he was prepared to consider full
participation in the process. At present, consideration is also being given to concluding a fisheries
agreement with Libya.

To what extent does the human right rights situation play a part in the European Union’s attitude towards
Libya? Are human rights a topic for discussion in relations between the Commission and the government
in Tripoli?

What is the Commission’s view of the human rights situation in Libya? Does it believe that the situation
has improved?

Will the Commission lend its good offices to facilitate an application for permission for a delegation
representing independent human rights organisations to visit Libya to review the human rights situation
there?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2004)

There are currently no official relations between the EU and Libya, which has been a passive observer in
the Barcelona process since 1999.