WRITTEN QUESTION E-2650/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Noise pollution in via Peccioli/via Chiusi.
21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/35 Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (22 February 2000) The Commission considers that the information given by the Honourable Member does not clearly show that all the factors claimed to be missing from the environmental impact assessment carried out in relation to the four lane road project concerned were identifiable in accordance with article 3 of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, and, therefore, relevant to the assessment. In addition, it is not possible to clearly identify the road project concerned. The Honourable Member indicates that it is supposed to link the highway no45 Cesena-Orte and the highway No 78 Grosseto-Fano. However, the second highway does not appear to exist and, on the basis of different details given by the Honourable Member, the project appears to be a road link between S. Giustino (Perugia) on the national road No 45 (S 45 Cesena-Orte) and Le Villeí (Arezzo) on the nterregional road No 73 (S 73, which connects the national road Siena-Bettolle S 326 to San Sepolcro). Not being aware of the situation described by the Honourable Member, the Commission will take the appropriate steps in order to gather detailed information about it and to ensure the observance of relevant Community law. (2000/C 330 E/038) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2650/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Noise pollution in via Peccioli/via Chiusi There is heavy train traffic in Rome near via Peccioli and via Chiusi (Rome ü Chiusi section ü between 9 and 10 km ü and the local train to Fiumicino), which causes high noise levels and, as a result, noise pollution in a densely populated area. Can the Commission answer the following: 1. Does it not consider that this contravenes Directive 85/337/EEC (1) on the assessment of effects on the environment? 2. Does it not think it advisable to ask the Italian authorities to install the sound barriers needed? 3. What are its general views on the subject? (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40. Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (13 March 2000) Directives on noise concern limit values for noise from equipment and cannot be considered relevant to the situation mentioned by the Honourable Member. Therefore, the Commission is not in a position to act. The situation is neither covered by Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment nor by Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (1), amending Directive 85/337/EEC. These directives cover only áprojectsí. Article 1 of both directives state clearly that the regime on environmental impact assessment applies to the assessment of the environmental effects of those projects which are likely to have significant effect on the environment. In particular, Article 1 of Directive 97/11/EC provides: Member States shall adopt all measures necessary to ensure that, before consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia, of their nature, size or location are made subject to a requirement for development consent and C 330 E/36 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 an assessment with regard to their effects. The railway to which the Honourable Member refers is not a project any longer, therefore, the above mentioned directives cannot be considered to apply. (1) OJ L 73, 14. 3. 1997. (2000/C 330 E/039) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2651/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission (12 January 2000) Subject: Air pollution in Rome At a convention held in Rome by the Higher Institute for Health figures on smog pollution in Rome were released. The data revealed that air poisoning causes 760 hospital admissions per year in Rome, 600 for cardiovascular diseases and 160 for respiratory illnesses. Those most at risk are children aged between 0 and 14. During periods of high ozone pollution an increase of 5,5 % can be seen in admissions of children in this age band. In the light of the above: 1. Are there any Europe-wide studies on urban pollution? 2. Are there any relevant directives? 3. Are there any studies on the level of ozone pollution found in other European capital cities? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (25 February 2000) There are a number of reports and studies giving an overview about the air pollution levels in Europe. Under Council Directive 92/72/EEC on air pollution by ozone (1) the Commission publishes annual reports about the ozone levels measured in the Community. They include an assessment of the ozone pollution against the thresholds set out in the directive. The latest version, covering the summer of 1999 and the year 1998, is available on the Commissionís website (http://europa. eu. int/comm/environment/air/ozoner- ep. htm). Additionally, the Commission produced a consolidated report Tropospheric Ozone in the European Unioní (2) which drew conclusions from several years measurements of ozone in the Community. It also contains a chapter on the effects of ozone exposure on human health, including an estimate of the hospital admissions in Member States attributable to ozone pollution. Further information on air pollution in Europe can be found in the reports of the European environment agency (EEA) (3) with a chapter on tropospheric ozone and specifically on the urban environment. Very recently the EEA presented its report Environment in the European Union at the turn of the centuryí containing an overview on air pollution concentration in a number of large European cities (4). The Organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) performed a study comparing the air pollution level in European cities with levels found in cities in the United States and Japan (5). On risk assessment, a great deal of work has been done in the APHEA project ( Short-term effects on air pollution on health: a European approach to methodology, dose response assessment and evaluation of public health significanceí), funded within the third and fourth framework programme on research and development. Effects from exposure to various pollutants, including ozone and fine particles, were investigated in 15 European cities. The World health organisation (WHO) recently published its report