I have been contacted by a constituent who is concerned by the proposed Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme.

 

Can the Commission confirm:

(a) what action it is taking to monitor the UK Government’s compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) in respect of the Thames Tideway?

(b) whether it has reviewed recent evidence as to whether the proposed EUR 6 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel will achieve compliance with the UWWTD without ‘excessive cost’ and reflect value for money?

(c) whether it has recently reviewed alternative measures for The Tideway that could achieve compliance with the UWWTD more quickly and at a lower risk and cost?

 

Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the Commission
The Court of Justice of the European Union gave judgment on 18 October 2012 in Case C-301/10 (Commission v. United Kingdom) concluding, inter alia, that the London collecting and treatment system is in breach of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive(1) and needed to be updated.

It is up to the Member State to decide on technical solutions to comply with the UWWTD and the Court’s ruling; the Commission only assesses whether the solution chosen delivers compliance. The Commission is in regular contact with the UK authorities to discuss compliance progress, which is also documented in six-monthly progress reports from the UK. The Commission will continue to assess the progress in reaching compliance and decide on further steps on that basis.

When considering proposed solutions, Member State authorities need to look at their potential environmental impact and viable alternatives under Directive 2011/92/EU(2) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. It is not for the Commission to assess the technical or financial suitability of alternative solutions. This said, the UK authorities explained to the Commission that they have looked at alternatives to tackle excessive spills of untreated waste water into the Thames in London, but that these could be even more expensive and disruptive than the Tunnel, and that they may not deliver compliance.

The Commission also considered the implications in terms of competition rules and decided to consider the Government support is compatible with the Treaty(3).

(1) Council Directive 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste water treatment, OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40‐52.
(2) OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1‐21.
(3) http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/257994/257994_1683619_108_2.pdf
You must be logged in to post a comment.