91996E1199

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1199/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: The haven link road, Canvey, Essex

Does the Commission agree that lorry movements from the Oikos oil storage facility and the Charfleets industrial site cause both an environmental nuisance and a traffic hazard to residents in Canvey Island, Essex, in my constituency? Would the Commission consider meeting a financial contribution towards a link road via the proposed shipping development at West Canvey, and precisely which European funding programmes might be available for such a purpose?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (18 July 1996)

The legal responsibility for assessing and reducing environmental nuisances rests with Member States. Environmental impact arising from use of existing infrastructures is outside the scope of present Community legislation and therefore the Commission is not in a position to take a view in this matter.

The link proposed does not appear to be part of the road network identified in the proposed trans-European networks (TENs) guidelines and in any event the application for Community assistance would require the support of the United Kingdom government, as specified in Article 129 EC Treaty.

Canvey Island is, as the Honourable Member will know, not currently an area eligible for European regional development fund (ERDF) assistance and consequently the type of project cited in the question would not be financed by the ERDF under the current programmes in the United Kingdom.