WRITTEN QUESTION No. 563/98 by Ernesto CACCAVALE to the Commission. Misuse of funds from the LIFE programme
19. 11. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 354/9 The Commission has sent Parliament its evaluation report for 1997 and its work programme for 1998, together with an estimate of the cost of these evaluations. With regard to regional policy and the evaluation exercises launched by the Commission, this was about ECU 4. 5 million in 1997 and the forecast for 1998 is of about ECU 2. 5 million, including work on developing methodologies. With regard to rural development, expenditure in 1997 was about ECU 450 000. (98/C 354/12) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0558/98 by Bryan Cassidy (PPE) to the Commission (4 March 1998) Subject: By-pass in Dorset, UK What approaches has the Commission received from (a) the UK Government and (b) the Dorset County Council about the proposed route of the Sandford and Halton Heath By-Pass in Wareham, Dorset? Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (8 April 1998) The Commission has never received any approach from the United Kingdom government or from the Dorset authorities regarding the Sandford and Halton Heath bypass and the bypass has, therefore, not been considered for inclusion in the Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (Decision No 1692/96 EC (1)). (1) OJ L 228, 9. 9. 1996. (98/C 354/13) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0563/98 by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission (4 March 1998) Subject: Misuse of funds from the LIFE programme In the municipality of Ravenna (Italy), in a coastal area known as Piallassa Baiona, close to the Po Valley regional park, the local authorities have begun and are proceeding with work, in violation of planning restrictions and public fishing rights (planning restriction Sic. ZPS. IT 4700004 › Conventions of Berne and Ramsar), and without the authorisation and agreement of the relevant citizensí committee, on the construction of an experimental waste water processing plant for the desalination of the valley which will have harmful effects on fishing. Given the considerable value of the natural site jeopardised by this work, which is being carried out with funds obtained under the Community LIFE programme: › will the Commission investigate this matter immediately? › will it consider the possibility of suspending any funding unduly allocated to this project? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (5 May 1998) On the basis of the information available, the experimental green filtering system mentioned by the Honourable Member is not part of any project financed in the framework of the financial instrument LIFE. As far as its potential impact on the special protection area (SPA) Piallassa Baionaí is concerned, the Commission will ask further information of the national authorities