Apr.22 (GMM) The European Union will investigate possible irregularities concerning the organisation of the inaugural European grand prix on the streets of the Spanish port city Valencia.

It was previously reported that the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, had ruled admissible a formal objection to the formula one project lodged by the environmental group Verda.

Amongst other things, the group claimed that a sufficient impact study was not done, and that some of the land for the circuit was taken from a protected 'green area'.

To the Spanish news agency EFE, and in response to parliamentarians' requests, the European parliament's environment commissioner Stavros Dimas confirmed that an investigation into possible violations by the organisers will indeed now take place.

Dimas also confirmed that Valencian authorities have so far failed to hand over studies about the fulfilment of European noise pollution directives, in anticipation of the late August F1 event.