Lobau motorway
23.3.2004
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1010/04
by Johannes Voggenhuber (Verts/ALE)
to the Commission
The Republic of Austria intends to build a motorway in the Lobau national park, which it notified to the Commission as a designated bird conservation area under Directive 79/409/EEC[1] and as a protected FFH area under Directive 92/43/EC[2].
The planned motorway will cut into the edge of the conservation area and run under it through a tunnel. It would, however, be technically possible to choose another route which does not affect the Lobau conservation area.
There are also plans to develop a four to six-lane road (plus two hard shoulders) in the immediate vicinity of the Lobau conservation area, running in the direction of the motorway.
1. Is it permissible under Community law to reduce the Lobau Natura 2000 area for a motorway project?
2. Is it permissible to run a motorway underneath a Natura 2000 conservation area?
3. Must an environmental impact assessment also be carried out in respect of the four to six-lane expansion of the road near the conservation area pursuant to Article 6 of the FFH Directive?