COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 836/94 of 13 April 1994 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 Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 of 17 November 1986 on the protection of forests against atmospheric pollution (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2157/92 (2), and in particular Article 3 (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 deadline condition of the Community's forests continues to give cause of concern and steps should therefore be taken to extend the surveys on the network of observation plots in a coordinated and harmonious way;
Whereas a survey on the chemical content of needles and leaves on the existing network would provide basic additional information on the health of forest ecosystems; whereas limited mineral nutrition may be a direct cause of tree condition deterioration; whereas beside soil surveys the sampling and analysing of needles and leaves are an essential part to demonstrate possible deficiency symptoms in forest ecosystems; whereas a modification of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 926/93 (4), is necessary to take in account these tasks when defining the common rules for the implementation of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86;
Whereas the measures provided in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Forestry Committee,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 is hereby amended as follows:
1. the following Article 1b is added:
'Article 1b
1. In addition to the annual inventory of damage caused to forests provided for in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86, the chemical content of needles and leaves should be analysed and recorded over the same network of observation plots.
The survey of the chemical content of needles and leaves is optional.
2. Needle/leave samples shall be taken in accordance with an objective sampling method and analysed in accordance with established methods.
3. Member States participating in this survey, shall forward to the Commission by 30 June 1996 in a standardized form the data collected and analysed for each observation plot as specified in Annex VIc.
4. Technical details pertaining to the provisions of this Article are set out in Annex VII.';
2. the following fourth indent is inserted in Article 2 (1):
'- to carry out a survey on the chemical content of needles and leaves';
3. the following Article 3b is added:
'Article 3b
1. Member States participating in this survey shall draw up a report on the chemical content of needles and leaves in their respective areas and forward them to the Commission by 30 June 1996.
2. The contents of the report shall comply with the requirements set out in Annex VIII.';
4. Annexes III and VI to Regulation (EEC) No 926/93 replacing the respective Annexes to Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 are hereby amended in accordance with the respective Annex hereto;
5. Annexes VIc, VII and VIII are hereby added to Regulation (EEC) No 1696/87 in accordance with the respective 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, 13 April 1994.