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Recommends To The Government To Provide Information On The National Programme For High-Potential Hydroelectric Dams

Original Language Title: Recomenda ao Governo que disponibilize informação sobre o Programa Nacional de Barragens de Elevado Potencial Hidroeléctrico

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Draft Resolution No. 69 /XI

Extension of the Public Consultation period of the Friend Barrage

Following a complaint presents to the European Commission, by various associations

environmentalists, against the National Barrages Programme (PNBEPH) and its broadsides

impacts, that European institution commissioned, to an external and independent consultant,

a technical evaluation study of the said Program.

This study was daredevil in relation to the way the PNBEPH underassessed or omitted

key parameters of benchmarking the construction and operation of the new

proposed dams, thus indicating the serious gaps and weaknesses of the Programme, second

what has been soberly made public, specifically in what concerne the

strategic assessment procedures and the commitments made by Portugal in the

scope of the Water Framework Directive and targets to be reached at the level of water quality.

It was the confirmation, justly, of the criticism that the PEV and many environmental associations

Portuguese have done tirelessly to the PNBEPH.

Following this process, the Portuguese State, has been notified by the European Commission, by

form to provide a set of information and clarifications. Second stated by Ms.

Minister of the Environment the Portuguese state's response to that notification followed in the past day

December 15 to Brussels.

For the purpose of information and parliamentary work, within the scope of the duty to monitor the action

of the Government, the Parliamentary Group "The Greens" requested the knowledge of the response provided

by the Portuguese State to the said notification, knowledge such that the Ministry of

Environment and the Territory Planning refused.

The ENP considers this refusal to be serious, impermissible and ineligible, and we understand that it

demonstrates lack of transparency and simultaneously respect for the role scrutinising the

Assembly of the Republic. We judge that interested MPs should have access to this

type of information and not stay at the mercy of any general documents access regime

administrative!

In parallel to this fact, this process of inquiry aggregates information not made available

to the citizens who, to what everything indicates, is very relevant for the analysis of the processes of

environmental impact assessment, not understanding as well as how they continue to

taking place, as if nothing were going on, acts concerning the concretization of the PNBEPH,

fundamentally those that imply knowledge of the whole process on the part of the

interested, as are the acts of public consultation.

Considering that this information is not only relevant for a better weighting of the

PNBEPH, as a whole, as it will also be, for certain, for evaluation of each of its

specific proposals relating to each of the ventures;

Considering also that it is taking place, until February 15, the Public Consultation of the

Environmental Impact Study of the Barrage of the Frigive;

Considering further that Public Consultation is the last opportunity for the citizens and

entities formally pronouncement on the venture into concrete;

Considering, finally, that the result of the European Commission's action of inquiry, thus

how of the content of the Independent Study may come to result fundamental data for the

assessment of the impactes of this dam.

The Assembly of the Republic deliberates, under the constitutional and regimental provisions

applicable, recommend to the Government:

1-That the public consultation regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Barrage of the

Fritness is resumed and extends up to 30 days after the completion of the results of the

research taking place with the European Commission.

2-That it be sent to MPs the answer that the Portuguese state gave in the sequence

of the notification of the European Commission, relating to the PNBEPH.

3-That is provided, to Members, the access to the Independent Study commissioned

by the European Commission, which gave rise to the notification to the Portuguese state.

Assembly of the Republic, February 8, 2010

The Deputies