WRITTEN QUESTION E-1652/99 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Pollution of the waters in regional canal 66.
C 170 E/64 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 In accordance with the established case-law of the Court of Justice (1), the principles of the EC Treaty do not preclude rules established on non-economic grounds which relate to the specific nature of the sporting activity in question. The organisation of pigeon races with relation to the specific nature of the activity does not therefore appear to be incompatible with the provisions of Article 49 of the EC Treaty. (1) Cf. the Bosman judgment of 15 December 1995 (C-415/93). (2000/C 170 E/072) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1652/99 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: Pollution of the waters in regional canal 66í (22 September 1999) Regional canal 66í crosses the prefectures of Imathia and Pella, taking in the waters of small local rivers before flowing into the Aliakmon and downstream into the Thermaic Gulf. Industrial waste is unlawfully discharged into canal 66í throughout the region. Samples and measurements taken at various points along the canal show that it is impossible for any form of life to exist in it, particularly during the summer months. Having regard to: ü the fact that some industrial plants in the region are operating without biological waste treatment facilities, while others have such facilities but do not use or underuse them, thereby disposing of industrial waste in breach of Community legislation, ü the petitions submitted by the mayors of Irinoupoli ü Ap. Pavlos and Anthemia and the complaints and strong protests over the last ten years from the inhabitants of the villages in the vicinity of the canal and from local environment organisations, ü the damage to the environment and public health (poisoning, stench, dead fish washed up through lack of oxygen), ü the infringement of Community directives concerning waste, protection of ground water, the quality of drinking water and prevention of marine pollution. Will the Commission say: 1. whether it will ask the Greek authorities to guarantee a permanent halt to sewage pollution of canal 66í, 2. whether, if requested, it will finance a management plan in the area concerned in order to restore the severely disrupted ecological balance along the entire length of the canal bed, and 3. what measures it will take, should it identify breaches of Community environment legislation, to enforce correct implementation of its provisions? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (27 October 1999) The Commission had not been informed of the pollution of the water in regional canal 66í and would like to thank the honourable Member for the information received. The Commission will ask the Greek authorities for information on the operation of the existing treatment works, on the collection system for 20. 6. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 170 E/65 waste water and for waste from the companies in that region, and on the preparation of programmes setting qualitative targets for the Aliakmona River. The Commission will decide what further work needs to be done on this matter once the Greek authorities have replied. In principle an integrated water management plan in the area referred to may, in principle, be eligible as in central part of the activities to be jointly financed by Community support framework (CSF) Macedonia. III (2000/C 170 E/073) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1653/99 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: New insurance scheme set up by Greek Electricity Board (DEI) (22 September 1999) According to press reports, the agreement between the Greek Government and the DEI trade unions designed to resolve their insurance problem ü which has already been publicised ü has provoked opposition from the Commission áwhich considers that the arrangements for the DEIís new insurance scheme constitute government aidí. According to the same reports, the Commission considers that the insurance scheme is related to the opening-up of the energy market in Greece. 1. Does the Commission consider that the arrangements made for the DEI insurance scheme, whereby the assets of the insurance organisation are transferred in return for cover via the national budget, constitutes government aid? Is it the Commissionís intention that the timetable for opening up the domestic energy market in 2. Greece in 2001 should be the same as for all the Member States or will it be 28 %, as applied to the other Member States except Greece in February 1999? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (27 October 1999) The Commission has not received any notification from the Greek government on the agreement 1. between the Greek government and the Greek Electricity Board (DEI). Therefore, the Commission has made no declaration with respect to the arrangements in question. At present, it is not therefore possible to say whether these arrangements constitute a state aid within the meaning of Article 87 of the EC Treaty (ex-Article 92). The Commission intends to address a request for information to the Greek government. 2. The Member States had the obligation to implement the provisions of Directive 96/0092/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 1996 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (1), on 19 February 1999. However, Belgium and Ireland were given one additional year to implement the Directive, while Greece had two extra years to adopt the implementing legislation. The Directive in its Article 19 provides for an opening of the market in three steps. The share of the national market will be increased progressively over a period of six years. The minimum market opening corresponding to the first step is calculated as the share of the total Community electricity consumption by final consumers with an annual consumption exceeding 40 gigawatt hours (GWh). Following the latest calculation this implies that a minimum of 26,48 % of each national market had to be open for competition since 19 February 1999. In the second step ü three years after entry into force of the Directive ü the threshold is reduced to a level of 20 GWh. This increases the minimum market opening to approximately 28 %. In the third step ü six years after entry into force of the Directive -the threshold is further reduced to 9 GWh which equals a market opening of some 33 %. In the event that Greece uses the full two-year grace period, it will have to liberalise its share electricity consumption which corresponds with the second step, which applies three years after the entry into force i. e. 19 February 2000. In 2003 it will have to liberalise its share of total electricity of the Directive, consumption consumed by final consumers with an annual consumption exceeding 9 GWh, based on the Community average. (1) OJ L 27, 30. 1. 1997