Mining and exploitation of gold deposits on the Island of Milos
1.2.2000
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0318/00
by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL)
to the Commission
The company Midas Ltd. is planning to prospect for gold by drilling over an area of 17 760 000 sq. metres at Profitis Ilias, Chondro Vouno, Koumaria, Kalamavros and Ralaki in the municipality of Milos, a large part of which has been proposed for inclusion in the NATURA 2000 programme.
Investments of this kind do not have a very positive track record internationally: a similar gold mining project at Pergamon in Turkey foundered owing to the resistance of the local population who even involved the European Parliament, and the artificial lakes of toxic waste which are the by-product of such investments pose a threat to the environment (for instance, the Doñana National Park in Spain). In the case of Milos the overwhelming majority of the social and professional bodies on the island are strongly opposed to the project and are calling for an immediate suspension of operations by Midas Ltd.
The use of cyanide in processing the gold ore and the highly toxic residues produced by investments of this kind constitute a threat to public health and the environment, the ground water and the entire region, and there is also a risk of marine pollution.
Given that:
The Greek Aegean islands are facing increasing water supply problems, and the Community has co-funded substantive infrastructures aimed at solving these problems and indeed shown particular concern by taking special measures;
Greece has been found by the European Court of Justice to be in breach of Article 7 of Directive 76/464/EEC[1]on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community and Directive 92/43/EEC[2]on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora;
The environmental impact assessment has been rejected by the Prefectural Council of the Cyclades;
Will the Commission say what measures it intends to take to prevail upon the relevant Greek authorities to put an end to the above operations which on the one hand are in breach of Community environmental legislation and pose a threat to public health and on the other are clearly at odds with the EU policy on a European integrated coastal zone strategy?
OJ C 330 E, 21/11/2000