13.9.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC249/3
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)onoperationstopromotetropical
forestsf1)
(93/C249/02)
On1April1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle130SoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
1June1993.TheRapporteurwasMrsMariaLuisaSantiago.
Atits307thPlenarySession(meetingof30June1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction theUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevel­
opment(UNCTAD),whichhaspromotedtheestab­
lishmentofacommonfundoncommodities and
hashelpedfinanceresearchanddevelopmentactivi­
tiesininternationalorganizations .1.1.Theimplementation anddevelopmentofa
Communityenvironmental policy,assetoutinthe
SingleEuropeanAct,aimprincipallytopromotesus­
tainablegrowthwhileprotectingtheenvironment .
1.7.Since1980theCommunityhasbeeninvolved
withthesetropicalforestprojects,initiallycontributing
ECU20million.Since1986thisaidhasincreasedstead­
ilybymeansofintegratedruraldevelopmentprojects.1.2.TheDublinEuropeanCouncilofJune1990
stressedthattheEuropeanCommunityanditsMember
Stateshadaspecialresponsibilitytopromoteinter­
nationalactionconcernedwithworld-wideenviron­
mentalproblems.
1.3.TheCommunityandtheMemberStateshave
signedtheRioDeclaration,aswellasanumberof
declarationsofprincipleonforestsandothermajor
conventionsonclimatechangeandbiodiversity .1.8.ThedraftCouncilRegulation,presentedbythe
Commission ,representsacontinuationoftheCom­
munity'sconcerntosupporttropicalforestsandto
cooperatewithinternationalorganizations inthisarea.
Inprinciple,theCommitteewelcomestheProposal.
1.4.TheEdinburghEuropeanCouncilofDecember
1992consideredthatmanyaspectsofthespecificpolicy
andactioncontainedinthe'ProgrammeforSustainable
Development'shouldbeimplementedbeyondthebor­
dersofEurope.2.Generalcomments
1.5.TheEdinburghsummitalsorecognizedtheneed
tohaveanoverallCommunitystrategyandplanof
actionfornatureconservationandprotection,particu­
larlywithregardtobiodiversityandforests.2.1.OveranumberofyearstheCommitteehas
studiedrelationswiththecountriesofLatinAmerica,
AsiaandtheAfrican,CaribbeanandPacificStates
(ACP),withparticularemphasisonECparticipation
ininternationalcooperationanddevelopmentaidpro­
grammeswhichfostertheinvolvementofthesocial
partnersindecision-making andtheimplementation of
programmes ,andwhichconformwiththeprincipleof
sustainabledevelopment .1.6.Theseprincipleshavealsobeenbackedbythe
internationalcommunity,withanumberofpro­
grammesbeingsetupinthe1980s,including:
theTropicalForestsActionPlan(TFAP)established
bytheFoodandAgricultureOrganizationofthe
UnitedNations(FAO);2.2.ThedraftRegulationtiesinwiththepolitical
approachreferredtoabove:asstatedintheintroduc­
tion,itthereforemeritstheCommittee'ssupport. theUnitedNationsDevelopment Programme
(UNDP),activelysupportingtheTFAP;
theUnitedNationsEnvironment Programme
(UNEP),concentratingparticularlyontheecologi­
calaspectsoftropicalforests;2.2.1.TheCommitteewelcomesthefactthatthe
Commissionhas,withtheproposedfinancialstate­
ment,outlinedaframeworkforopen-endedactionin
thetropicalforestsector,andhopesthatadequate
financialresourceswill,inthefuture,beassignedto
theinitiative. HOJNoC44,19.3.1993,p.8.

NoC249/4 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 13.9.93
productionorindustrialpurposesconstitutefurther
significantcausesofdeforestation .2.2.2.TheprinciplesunderlyingtheCommission's
proposalareworthyoftheCommittee'ssupportsince
theyarebasedon:
2.4.4.Naturalphenomena—humaninterferencein,
andpoormanagementof,tropicalforests,combined
withnaturalphenomena,leadtocatastrophicfires
whichdestroylargeareasofforest.
2.5.Detailedknowledgeofthecausesofdefores­
tationandoftheeconomicsituationofthecountries
andlocalpopulationsconcerned,isessentialinident­
ifyingprioritiesforaction.cooperation,ratherthaneconomicconfrontation ,
withthetropicaltimberproducingcountries;
incentivesforbettermanagementoftropicalforests,
insteadofeconomicpenalties;
economicsupport,andnottheUtopianideathat
thesecountriesmightnotexploittheirnatural
resources'tosaveplanetEarth';
coordination withotherinternational actionrather
thanisolatedactiontosaveforests;
f
opennesstocooperationwithlocalbusinessesand
NGOs.2.6.Thepreservationandrational,sustaineduseof
naturalresourceswillonlybepossiblewhenthereisa
significantimprovementintheincomelevelandquality
oflifeofthecountriesandpopulationsinvolved.
2.3.Massivetropicaldeforestation hasreached
alarmingproportionsandisnowamatterofplanetary
concern.Therepercussions ,formankindasawhole,
include:2.7.ThisProposalrepresentsafirststeptowardsa
solution.WhilefortheCommunitycountriesdefores­
tationisanenvironmental issuelinkedtoclimate
changeandbiodiversity,forthecountrieswhichhave
tropicalforestsitisaquestionofdevelopmentstrategy
andlong-termmanagementofnaturalresources;apro­
perawarenessofthispointwillmagnifytheinitiative's
impact.climatechange;
anintensifiedgreenhouseeffect;
lossofbiodiversity;
desertification ;
siltingupofirrigatedareas.2.8.TheCommittee'smainconcernisthatthis
developmentstrategyshouldtakeaccountofenviron­
mentalconsiderations andawarenessofrationaluseof
naturalresources,andthatthepopulationsconcerned
shouldbeinvolvedinformulatinganddecidingupon
therelevantprogrammes .
2.4.Tropicaldeforestation isacomplex,interdisci­
plinaryissuewhichvariesconsiderablydependingon
thetypeofforestandcountryconcerned.Themajor
causeistheneedofthecountriesconcernedtoharness
thisnaturalresourcetofundeconomicdevelopment .3.Specificcomments
Theimmediatecausesofdeforestation are:3.1.TheProposal'sdefinitionoftropicalforestsis
highlyimprecise,andcoverswidelydifferingtypesof
forest.Theseimplyspecificproblemsandtreatment
whicharedifficulttocaterforinaRegulationofbroad
scope.2.4.1.Agriculturallanduse—theeffectsoflow
levelsofeconomicdevelopment ,populationpressures
andunevenlanddistribution ,combinedwithlowagri­
culturalproductivity,resultintheprogressivefelling
andburningoftropicalforests,whichareessentialif
localpopulationsaretoremaininplace.Thisismost
evidentinCentralandSouthAmerica.3.2.Thebudgetaryprovisionsappearmodestcom­
paredwiththevastscaleoftheactionwhichmustbe
takentoavoidthetotaldestructionoftropicalforests,
eveniftheyarecombinedwithotherinternational
programmes .2.4.2.Thetropicaltimberindustry—tropicaltim­
berforexportisincreasinglyobtainedwiththeuseof
heavyequipmentwhichcanpenetrateeventhemost
inaccessibleareasoftheforest,devastatingvastswathes
ofvegetationaroundthedesiredspecies.Intensiveagri­
culturegenerallyfollowsinthewakeofsuchoper­
ations,progressivelydamagingmuchtropicalsoil,par­
ticularlyinAsiancountries.3.3.TheCommitteefeelsthatthetropicaltimber
trade,asahighlycomplexprocesswithmanyfurther
implications,isanimportantfactorthatshouldbe
takenintoconsiderationwhenassessingpossiblepro­
jects.
2.4.3.Large-scaleinfrastructure projects—road­
building,whichgeneratespopulationmovements,and
large-scaleprojectstoextractrawmaterialsforenergy3.4.IntheCommittee'sview,theRegulationought
tomentionspecificmeasurestosupportandtrainlocal
populations .

13.9.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC249/5
3.5.TheCommitteeproposesthatdevelopment
initiativestoexploitlocalfloraandotherinnovatory
action,whichcouldmakeadecisivecontributiontothe
economyanddevelopmentoflocalpopulationsshould
beundertakentosupplementtheRegulation .3.6.TheCommitteerecommendsthatinassessing
proposalsforaction,accountbetakenoftheUnited
NationsCharterandtheprinciplesofinternationallaw
onthesovereignrightofStatestoexploittheirown
resources .
DoneatBrussels,30June1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
Opinion
AnnexIontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)amendingforthefirsttime
toCouncilRegulation (EEC)No2455/92concerningtheexportandimportof
certaindangerouschemicals(*)
(93/C249/03)
On14April1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle130SoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
1June1993.TheRapporteurwasMrBeltrami.
Atits307thPlenarySession(meetingof30June1993)theCommitteeadoptedthefollowing
Opinionunanimously .
1.Introduction fortheinclusioninAnnexIofafurtherfifteensub­
stancesandpreparationswhichareeitherbannedor
subjectedtosevererestrictionsintheCommunity,and
envisageschangesinthelimitationsontheuseofsix
substances .1.1.TheCommitteeapprovestheCommissionpro­
posalamendingforthefirsttimeAnnexItoCouncil
Regulation (EEC)No2455/92.
1.2.Thenewproposal,whichreflectstheCom­
mittee'sOpinionontheparentRegulation(2),provides1.3.Thechangesflowfromtheadaptationtotechni­
calprogressofparentDirectives79/117/EEC(con­
cernedwithplanthealthproducts)and76/769/EEC
(concernedwithdangeroussubstancesandprep­
arations).(1)OJNoC112,22.4.1993,p.12.
(2)OJNoC191,22.7.1991.
DoneatBrussels,30June1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN