COMMISSION REGULATION <{SID}>(EEC) No 926/93<{/SID}> of 1 April 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 laying down certain detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 of 17 November 1986 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2157/92 (2), and in particular Article 2 (1) and (2) thereof,
Whereas, pursuant to Article 2 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86, the aim of the Community scheme is to help the Member States to establish, on the basis of common methods, a periodic inventory of damage caused to forests, in particular by atmospheric pollution;
Whereas the detailed rules for the implementation of the said Article and in particular those relating to the gathering, comparability and transmission of the data collected are to be laid down in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 2 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86;
Whereas one of the main reasons for the loss of vitality of the Community's forests is the persistent input of atmospheric pollutants; whereas, in addition to the direct damage to trees, the indirect effects of atmospheric pollutants through the soil are one of the main reasons for the deterioration of the condition of forest ecosystems;
Whereas an examination of the soil of the Community's forests would provide basic information on the chemical condition of the soil and the nutrient supply to trees as well as the influence of pollutant inputs on the condition of the soil; whereas in this way account would be taken of the increasing significance of soil for an improvement in the condition of forests; whereas a modification of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 is necessary to take in account these tasks when defining the common rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86;
Whereas a modification of the Annexes to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 is necessary in order to ensure the transfer of data in a digital format and to improve the general transparency of the agreed common methodology;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Forestry Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 (3) is hereby amended as follows:
1. the following Article is added:
'Article 1a
1. In addition to the annual inventory of damage caused to forests provided for in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86, the condition of the soil in the Community's forests shall be recorded and assessed over the same network of observation points.
2. Soil samples shall be taken in accordance with an objective sampling method and analysed in accordance with established methods.
3. By 31 December 1995, Member States shall forward to the Commission in a standardized form the data collected and analysed for each observation point as specified in Annex VIb.
4. Technical details pertaining to the provisions of this Article are set out in Annex II.';
2. the following third indent is inserted in Article 2 (1):
'- to carry out a soil inventory at Community level';
3. the following Article is added:
'Article 3a
1. Member States shall draw up a report on the condition of the soil in their respective areas and forward them to the Commission by 31 December 1995.
2. The contents of the reports shall comply with the requirements set out in Annex V.';
4. the Annexes and their amendments are replaced by the Annexes hereto.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 April 1993.