92001E3602

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3602/01

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Funding for water-treatment plants in more than 200 Andalusian villages

Around 200 villages in Andalusia, Spain, representing around 30 % of Andalusia's total population, are seeing the 2005 deadline for waste water treatment approach without work having been started on the necessary facilities.

Work on these facilities has been blocked until now by the lack of funds available to local councils, and little is being done at regional level other than seeking formulae which might make it possible to meet the 2005 commitment laid down by the EU.

Can the Commission offer any ideas regarding schemes used in other parts of the Community in order to tackle the issue of funding for water treatment plants, with a view to removing the obstacles affecting Andalusian councils in general and speeding up the construction of the installations required in line with the Community commitment?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2002)

Possibilities for financing water-treatment plants vary from one Member State to another as they depend on whether or not the regions concerned are eligible for objective 1 of the Structural Funds or whether or not the Member State is a member of the Cohesion Fund.

Furthermore, the Commission has provided for a Community framework for State aid for protection of the environment(1). This public-private partnership (PPP) enables private undertakings to receive public concessions for both the construction and the operation of water-treatment plants.

Andalusia is able to benefit both from a PPP and from co-funding under the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund. For both these funds, the Commission would point out that the choice of individual projects is always at the discretion of the regional and national authorities.

For the Structural Funds, cofunding can be requested under the third priority Environment, natural surroundings and water resources of the Community support framework for Spain during the programming period 2000-2006. About 15 % of projects currently being cofinanced for Spain concern this measure.

With regard to the Cohesion Fund, waste-water treatment, water supply and waste treatment are priorities currently being undertaken. However, this does not ensure that the proposed investments will completely fill all current gaps and deficiencies in this area. In this context it has to be mentioned that gaps still exist in Spain regarding waste-water treatment facilities for large agglomerations. As deadlines for these agglomerations (in sensitive areas with more than 10 000 population equivalent (p.e.) and in normal areas with more than 15 000 p.e.) have already expired, it is at present a major priority to support these projects, rather than projects for agglomerations with less 10 000 p.e., which will have to set up a treatment plant by 2005.

(1) OJ C 37, 3.2.2001.