WRITTEN QUESTION E-1043/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Infringements in connection with Project 97/11/561/047 (Sogama project) financed under the Cohesion Fund.
20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/61 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (25 May 2000) the As regards the actual usefulness of customs stamps to which the Honourable Member refers, Commission considers that the customs authorities of the third countries are the party best placed to certify the completion of the customs import formalities into that country, to which, in the case of differentiation of the rate of the refund by destination, the payment of the refund is subject. The Commission plans to raise the question of drawing up a world-wide catalogue of current customs stamps at a forthcoming meeting of the World Customs Organisation. (2001/C 53 E/071) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1043/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (4 April 2000) Subject: Infringements in connection with Project 97/11/561/047 (Sogama project) financed under the Cohesion Fund In his answer on behalf of the Commission to my Written Question E-1737/99 (1) on the solid waste management project in Galicia (Sogama), Mr Barnier did not reply to the specific points made in my question in relation to the projectís design, which criticised the fact that the project was basically geared to incineration with energy recovery, to which most of the investment had been allocated, rather than to minimising, re-using and recycling waste. Consequently, attention still needs to be drawn to a number of aspects in addition to demanding that the conditions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 (2) establishing a Cohesion Fund are met and hoping that the condition mentioned by Mr Barnier in his answer, i. e. that payments will be made subject to the presentation by those responsible for the project of periodical reports on overall progress, will indeed be put into practice. The following should be taken into consideration: ü the Sogama project clearly fails to comply with Community legislation, in particular Council Directive 75/442/EEC (3) of 15 July 1975 on waste, Article 3(1) of which commits the Member States to encouraging the prevention, recycling and processing of waste and mentions the production of energy, which is nevertheless at the centre of the Sogama project, only in second place and as a possibility. Indeed, that project (Project 97/11/561/047) does not comply with its own description as contained in the decision granting financial support under the Cohesion Fund. ü finally, the project runs counter to the new Spanish legislation and specifically the National Plan on Solid Urban Waste, which accepts the objectives of the above Council Directive and places the emphasis on the principles of recovering, reducing and recycling organic waste by means of processing. The Galician regional government is manifestly failing to meet those objectives, given that the Sogama project is chiefly geared to incineration and the volume of waste incinerated in Galicia is set to reach 300 000 tonnes in 2001 and 500 000 in 2005. Is the Commission aware that the Sogama project involves the incineration rather than the recycling of organic waste? Can it confirm the projectís evident failure to comply with basic Community legislation on environmental protection in connection with waste? What are the Commissionís plans as regards the requirement that periodical progress reports be submitted as announced in the Commissionerís reply? (1) OJ C 170 E, 20. 6. 2000, p. 86. (2) OJ L 130, 25. 4. 1994, p. 1. (3) OJ L 194, 25. 7. 1975, p. 39. C 53 E/62 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (22 May 2000) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Questions E-0784/00 and E-0818/00 by Mrs MiguØlez Ramos (1). (1) OJ C 46 E, 13. 2. 2001, p. 42. (2001/C 53 E/072) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1044/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (4 April 2000) Subject: Chechen refugees Recent press reports have highlighted the existence of 277 100 Chechen refugees, chiefly in Ingushetiya but also in other neighbouring republics such as North Osetiya and Dagestan, in addition to the 42 000 people housed in provisional camps in Chechnya itself, at Asinovskaia and Sernovodsk west of Grozny. What practical economic and political measures is the European Union taking as part of urgent and effective action to remedy this tragic situation? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (12 May 2000) Since the early stages of the present crisis, the Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), has been providing emergency assistance to the civilians displaced by the hostilities. While implementing the programme in co-operation with the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) the Commission faced considerable operational constraints (important security problems for aid workers, etc. ). Nevertheless, the Commission managed to provide aid in a broad range of humanitarian fields (such as food, shelter, public health, water and sanitation, essential relief items). Currently the total financial allocation stands at € 7,4 million. So far, the programme has mainly focused on Ingushetia, but it has also covered Daguestan and Georgia. At present, the main operational priority is the resumption of operations in Chechnya itself, where activities had to be suspended in November 1999 due to security constraints. The Commission, in close co-ordination with other members of the interna- tional community, continues to advocate the role of humanitarian actors in this emergency in its negotiations with the Russian authorities. (2001/C 53 E/073) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1045/00 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (4 April 2000) Subject: Construction of a metro system in the metropolitan area of Oporto Work is about to start on the construction of a metro system in the metropolitan area of Oporto in line with a project agreed with the Commission. Proposals have since been made for the addition of new stretches of track and changes to those originally planned in response to transport problems in and around the city