WRITTEN QUESTION E-2644/99 by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission. URBAN programme.
C 330 E/34 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 (2000/C 330 E/036) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2644/99 by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission Subject: URBAN programme (12 January 2000) The URBAN programme makes no provision for subsidising specific housing programmes, although housing is a social need of the first order. Is there any possibility, within the new URBAN programme, of establishing specific programmes on housing? What other alternative approaches could be taken to the problem of housing as a social issue? Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission (2 March 2000) Housing is not eligible for the Structural Funds. Housing programmes do not therefore qualify under the Urban Community initiative, which is financed by these Funds. However, in Annex I to its communication of 13 October 1999 laying down guidelines for projects under the new Urban Community initiative (1), the Commission acknowledges that housing can play in some instances a major role in any attempts to address urban problems with a view to better social cohesion. The Commission states that the programmes must be seen to have taken housing into account where it makes an important contribution to local regeneration. However, it is for the local, regional or national authorities, depending on the country, to bear the entire cost, without assistance from the Structural Funds. (1) COM(1999) 477 final. (2000/C 330 E/037) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2646/99 by Reinhold Messner (Verts/ALE) to the Commission Subject: Val del Cerfone E78-E45 road link (12 January 2000) The Tuscan region road network department of the Italian National Roads Authority (ANAS) plans to build a four-lane road link between the E78 Grosseto-Fano highway and the E45 Cesena-Orte highway, between Le Ville (Monterchi, Arezzo) and Selci Lama (San Giustino, Perugia). During the preliminary planning phase (final version of study: 5 February 1999) an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was carried out which considered three possible routes, one through the Sovara valley and the other two in the Cerfone valley. The parameters taken into consideration in the environmental impact assessment were land use, the physical system, the natural system, flora and vegetation, the landscape and, lastly, noise, omitting the fauna, air, climate, material assets and cultural heritage factors and the interaction between them, and thus violating the provisions of Article 3 of Directive 85/337/ EEC (1) as amended by Directive 97/11/EC (2). This is particularly serious in view of the fact that one of the most prestigious works of art in world history, the Madonna del Parto by Piero della Francesca, is found in the Cerfone valley, and the whole area affected by the possible E78 route is characterised by important works of art and historical elements, especially connected with the work of art already mentioned. The municipalities involved in the project disagree over the choice of route. Does the Commission not consider that the environmental impact assessment should be revised to take into account material assets, cultural heritage and their interaction with other factors, as laid down by the Community directives? (1) OJ L 175, 5. 7. 1985, p. 40. (2) OJ L 73, 14. 3. 1997, p. 5