(2004/C 65 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2725/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject:   The A-9 Motorway between Spain and Portugal and infringement of Community environmental legislation

The building work on the A-9 motorway between the Rebullón (Tui, Spain) interchange and the Portuguese frontier is having an enormous environmental impact on the area, causing a whole range of damage, particularly to the existing watercourses. When designing the motorway section which affects the area's inhabitants, the environmental damage caused was not assessed: a particular glaring absence from the studies made were the underground watercourses, which are required for human consumption and the irrigation of surrounding agricultural land. The resulting defective drainage in conjunction with meteorological conditions, has irreversible consequences for the area. The public administrations responsible for the construction work (Ministry of Development, the Xunta de Galicia and the local authorities) are dodging the problem and ignoring the numerous and frequent organised protests by local people. Although there have even been two deaths: a lorry driver was killed by the fall of a girder, and a local person died during a protest. Both these incidents are sub judice.

What Community funding is going into the completion of the roadworks in question? Could the Commission investigate whether these roadworks involve infringement of environmental legislation on the dumping of waste on the part of the Spanish Government?

Supplementary answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2003)

The Commission learned of the situation reported by the Honourable Member through Written Question E-1924/02 by Mrs Rosa Miguélez Ramos and Mrs María Sornosa Martínez (1). It subsequently opened an own-initiative case (reference No 2002/2199).

To check that the relevant Community legislation was being properly enforced, the Commission asked the Spanish authorities for information on the reported situation.

In response, the Spanish authorities sent the impact statement regarding the route of the motorway, along with the consent for the project granted on 30 August 2000.

The Spanish authorities also sent a copy of the hydrology chapter of the project impact study. This is currently being examined by the Commission.

As for Community funding of these roadworks, from the information the Spanish authorities supplied to the Commission it appears that construction of the stretch of the A-9 motorway running from the Rebullón interchange to the Portuguese border is being financed entirely by a concession-holding company and that no Community funding is involved.

(1)  OJ C 301 E, 5.12.2002.