WRITTEN QUESTION No. 652/99 by Ioannis THEONAS Threats to public health and the ecological balance from waste on Santorini
C 348/114 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 12. 1999 (1999/C 348/145) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0652/99 by Ioannis Theonas (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (9 March 1999) Subject: Threats to public health and the ecological balance from waste on Santorini The inhabitants of the Aegean island of Santorini are facing a huge accumulation of problems over their water supply, sewage system and waste management. The problems are exacerbated by the island’s high population density, especially in the summer months when, with the added number of tourists, there is a steep increase in the volume of effluent and rubbish, creating grave problems affecting both the health and quality of life of the islanders and the balance of the ecosystem (soil and groundwater pollution) and the island’s outstanding beauty and cultural and archaeological heritage. A particularly acute problem is posed by rubbish, the disposal of which by the outdated method of incineration, against all safety rules, in residential areas, constitutes a direct threat to public health. In view of the gravity of the problems and the immediate need for action to deal with them, and the fact that Santorini is included in an EU pilot programme under the Cohesion Fund (with 85 % of its finance from the fund and 15 % from the Greek State), for an integrated waste management and water supply and sewage scheme, will the Commission indicate the stage that has been reached in the implementation of this programme, whether the competent Greek authorities and ministries have approved the planning and siting of the works, and whether it is aware of the identity of the private contractor who will be carrying out the work or the terms of the competition and the criteria for awarding the contract? Is it also true that incineration, which has already roused public opposition because of its grave risk to public health and the balance of the ecosystem, has been preferred as the method of waste disposal? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (21 April 1999) The Commission has on several occasions discussed the pilot project on integrated water-supply management, waste-water treatment and solid-waste disposal for the island of Santorini, both with the national Ministries for Economic Affairs, the Environment and the Aegean and with the local authorities of the island. However, it has not yet received any official request from the Greek authorities for Cohesion Fund financing for this project. The Commission is therefore unable to answer the various questions put by the Honourable Member. The Commission wishes to stress that it adopts decisions on part-financing by the Community Funds only if the projects concerned comply with Community legislation, including the rules on the environment. (1999/C 348/146) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0685/99 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1999) Subject: 1999 tariff quotas for tuna loins Given that it would not make sense to grant new countries the preferential conditions enjoyed by the ACP and GSP-Andean Pact countries, and that opening the market to South-East Asia, i. e. to countries to which this preferential situation does not currently apply, would upset a hard-won equilibrium, does the Commission agree that the suggested opening of a new tariff quota for tuna loins for 1999 would lead to a difficult political situation with unpredictable consequences?