WRITTEN QUESTION No. 521/99 by Laura GONZÁLEZ ÁLVAREZ , Pedro MARSET CAMPOS Environmental impact report on the Atlantic motorway in Vigo (Galicia, Spain)
21. 12. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 370/49 The Commission is aware that the Italian authorities are considering possible means of facilitating air transport services to peripheral regions, including the smaller islands of Sicily. The options available under Community law are the imposition by the Italian authorities of public service obligations on the routes concerned, as mentioned above, or the adoption of a non-discriminatory form of social aid for the benefit of the residents of such islands. (1) OJ L 240, 24. 8. 1992. (1999/C 370/062) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0521/99 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) and Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (8 March 1999) Subject: Environmental impact report on the Atlantic motorway in Vigo (Galicia, Spain) Whilst pointing out a number of significant shortcomings unearthed in the environmental impact assessment, the environmental impact statement on the aforementioned project declared it viable, provided that certain activities were undertaken to counteract the runoff and loose surface on the slope of Mount Madroa. The project’s failure to comply with that condition led to large-scale landslides and flooding on the slope, and to a revised project providing for a sizeable increase in the surface area covered and the volume of land excavated. As a result, the project under way at present differs greatly from the one examined in the environmental impact assessment. The changes made to the mountain slope have exerted a considerable impact on the environment 7 including a reduction in woodland, microclimatic changes, a visible deterioration in the landscape and an increasingly loose surface 7 and present a clear risk to the population. 1. Is the Commission aware of the situation described above? 2. Does it not take the view that Directive 85/337/EEC (1) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment is being infringed, and that the competent authorities ought to carry out a new environmental impact assessment, given the marked difference between the new features of the project and those initially contained therein? 3. During the public consultation stage, citizens were neither made aware of, nor able to give their point of view on, the activities which might affect them at a later stage. Does the Commission consider this a breach of their right to be provided with information of any kind on environmental matters, as laid down in Directive 90/313/EEC (2) on the freedom of access to information on the environment? (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40. (2) OJ L 158, 23. 6. 1990, p. 56. Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (15 April 1999) 1. The Commission was not aware of the situation described by the Honourable Members. 2. The Commission has opened a file on the matter raised by the Honourable Members and will look into any failure to comply with Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. The Spanish authorities have been asked to comment. 3. Article 3 of Council Directive 90/313/EEC of 7 June 1990 on the freedom of access to information on the environment stipulates that public authorities are required to make available information relating to the environment to any natural or legal person at his request and without his having to prove an interest. Going purely by what the Honourable Members have described, the Commission is unable to establish whether the Spanish authorities have received an application for access to information to which they have failed to respond appropriately