(2004/C 78 E/0719)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3922/03

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

(18 December 2003)

Subject:   Projects co-funded by the Commission as part of the National Hydrological Plan

The Spanish Environment Ministry regularly publishes various figures concerning the number of NHP projects and Annex II to Law 889 (on building works and projects) which have secured EU funding. However, the Commission's DG on Regional Policy has replied to all questions and requests for information in this connection with the statement that it possesses no NHP building project references, since the requests for funding arrive without explicit reference to the NHP, bearing reference numbers different from the abbreviations used in the NHP Law. This is a worrying situation, above all in terms of the cumulative environmental effects and synergies of the various building projects.

Can the Commission submit a report on the co-funding, making reference to each NHP project?

Should the DG on Regional Policy not request that the Spanish Government from now on, identify each building project included in the NHP Law with a specific reference to the latter, so as to facilitate the monitoring of NHP projects?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2004)

The Commission refers the Honourable Member to the response given to the question E-2288/01.

It should also be noted that Annex II of Spanish law 10/2001 on the National Hydrological Plan (SNHP) referred to by the Honourable Member includes a listing of investments consisting of several hundreds of projects. The Spanish authorities have submitted a number of these projects for financing in the framework of the financial instruments and programming documents mentioned in the response referred to above, without specifically informing the Commission whether they are included in the SNHP, as this is not a necessary requirement.