Mr President, I too wish to thank Commissioner Barnier for the clarity and the transparency of the balance-sheet that he has presented. The summer of 2003 has indeed been a real scorcher throughout Europe, from Rovaniemi to the Algarve, and the tragic consequences of this heatwave have been unprecedented. This has been a cruelly unfair summer in Europe: as we have seen, it is the weakest in society who have been the main victims. Almost 20 000 elderly people, living alone and in some cases suffering from respiratory disorders, have succumbed to this deadly heat. On behalf of the , I would like first of all to offer my sincere condolences to the victims’ families. In parallel with this human tragedy, with this public health disaster which continues to shake France to its core, the forests in the Mediterranean countries have suffered almost irreversible damage. This summer, particularly fierce fires have devastated more than 400 000 hectares of forest. This is a human, economic and ecological balance-sheet that might have been even more serious had it not been for the bravery and the efficiency of the fire-fighters, many of whom are volunteers, for the assistance given by the Red Cross to the communities affected, for the solidarity that European States have shown one another, not forgetting the substantial cooperation of third countries. Europe has acted effectively: the Commissioner referred to the EUR 31 million spent in the context of demonstrating solidarity with Portugal – a solidarity which is to be found at the very heart of our Treaties – and the Structural Funds. There is another observation I must make: the EUR 23-odd million, which is the cost, to date, of the centralised Community forest fire management and research programme, have not been spent in vain. The pilot projects for fire prevention, for identifying at-risk areas and for replanting affected areas have demonstrated their usefulness, not least in Portugal, but also their limitations. It is true that Europe must do more. These enormous fires in Portugal and in the South of France have proved one thing: the fleet of fire-fighting aircraft in most Member States is ageing. Without the assistance of the neighbouring countries that I have just mentioned and in particular without the assistance of the Russian jumbos and their 12-tonne tanks, considerably more than 400 000 hectares would have gone up in smoke. This is why the Liberals are in favour – and this should answer one of your questions – of creating a European civil protection force that would be responsible for combating forest fires, floods and also for addressing risks posed by industrial disasters in particular. Increasing human resources in this way must go hand in hand with stepping up material resources. Europe cannot lag behind Canada, Australia, the United States or Russia; it must consider in particular acquiring its own powerful European water bombers, appropriate to our various specific geographical characteristics. I look forward, therefore, to hearing Commissioner Wallström present the proposals referred to by her colleague, Commissioner Barnier. Nor can Europe ignore the fact, and no one has yet referred to this, that 95% of these fires are started by man. It is crucial that we step up awareness-raising campaigns. A single cigarette thrown out of a car window can lead to the destruction of an entire forest. Holding those who are negligent responsible is, therefore, another of our articles of faith for prevention. Lastly, and I could have started with this point, how can we fail to make the link between these endless natural disasters and global warming? The supports the Commission in all its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. This summer, the records for ozone pollution have been broken in all Member States. Despite the battering that the Kyoto Protocol takes on a regular basis, and despite its limitations, it must remain a tool, a minimum target for some, but also a commitment. The European Union must, now more than ever, make this protocol its warhorse in its international negotiations.

Political group: ELDR