Development of Tajo-La Mancha water works following Annex II of the Spanish National Hydrological Plan

Monica Frassoni en Alexander de Roo2

The European Commission services should be aware that the Tajo-La Mancha transfer - listed as "Conducción de agua desde el Acueducto Tajo-Segura para incorporación de recursos a la Llanura Manchega" in Annex II (investment list) of the Spanish National Hydrological Plan law - is now ready for immediate execution up to 2006. Do the Commission services know that this water transfer was not included in the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Plan that was recently submitted by the Spanish Government?

The Commission's services should also be aware that the competent authority has just declared (EFE 03/13/13-45/02), that EIAs on two out of the four parts of the project are positive and that, therefore, getting the 245,22 million Euro (85% of the total costs of the project) it has asked from the EU Cohesion Fund should be a "mere bureaucratic step"?What is the Commission services' reaction to this claim, given also the fact that the European Parliament's Resolution for the Barcelona Summit asked the European Commission not to fund water transfer schemes?Are the Commission services satisfied that this water transfer does not violate EU law, in particular the Birds, Habitats and Water Framework Directives?