WRITTEN QUESTION P-2372/98

by Angela Kokkola (PSE) to the Commission

(15 July 1998)

Subject: Fires in Greece and Southern Italy

In view of the major disasters caused by recent fires in Sicily and Greece and the unforeseen ecological impact thereof:

1. Will the Commission provide special aid to the stricken areas under Regulation (EEC) 4256/88(1);

2. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, what measures are being envisaged by the Commission in response to the impact of the fire disasters?

3. Does it intend to review its position regarding forestry and to propose a common policy in this area?

4. Would it support the creation of a European Research Centre for the purpose of preventing and combating forest fires in the Mediterranean countries of the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 September 1998)

1. The Commission does not have any extra resources under Regulation (EEC) 4256/88 as regards the EAGGF Guidance Section to help the stricken areas replant the forests destroyed by fires. However, reprogramming within the Community Support Framework could free unused appropriations for reallocation to emergency measures in response to the fires.

2. and 3. The Commission would like to draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that the Community has been pursuing a policy on protection of its forests, and by extension on preventing forest fires, since 1986. Council Regulation (EEC) 2158/92 of 23 July 1992 on protection of the Community's forests against fires(2) extended and strengthened the framework for this policy. While respecting the principle of subsidiarity, it has allowed the Community to support Member States' forest-fire prevention efforts. Half of Europe's forest has now been classified as forest-fire risk areas, for which Member States have drawn up protection plans. Between 1992 and 1998, in areas classified as high-risk the Commission contributed ECU 42 million to 77 prevention projects in Greece and ECU 34,8 million to 55 projects in Italy. On top of this it provides assistance under the EAGGF Guidance Section for development measures and the protection of forests under regional and rural development programmes. In its proposal for a Regulation on support for rural development from the EAGGF(3), the Commission again proposed that the protection of forests against fires and the replanting of forests destroyed by fires can continue to form part of the rural development programmes submitted by the Member States.

It is nonetheless clear that the continual reduction by the budgetary authorities of assistance available for the specific measure on the protection of forests (from ECU 23,5 million in 1996 to ECU 16 million in 1998) is likely to threaten the effectiveness of this measure.

This measure also facilitated the introduction of the Community forest fire information system, which now permits analysis covering more than 500 000 fires occurring between 1983 and 1996 and affecting a total of six million hectares. Thanks to this system, we now have an extremely detailed description of forest fires and their causes, on a Community, national and regional level. This gives us an operational monitoring instrument and permits evaluation of the protection plans already mentioned and of the planning of prevention measures.

The Commission plans to replace the current system of financing projects by a system of financing programmes starting from the year 2000 at the latest. This will help establish closer links between forest protection plans and the use of Community assistance for schemes that include prevention measures.

The Commission would also like to draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that Community assistance cannot be granted for forestry measures in high-risk areas unless a protection plan has been forwarded to the Commission. This principle was recently approved in the proposal on support for rural development from the EAGGF.

The Commission is of the opinion that this measure exhausts the political leeway given to the Community under the Treaty. The Member States are largely responsible for regional planning and forestry policy, such as changes in land use or decisions on reafforestation of areas destroyed by fires. The Commission is also currently drafting a proposal on a European forestry strategy, based on the detailed recommendations set out in the Thomas report on Community forestry policy adopted by Parliament in January 1997. Clearly the protection of forests against fire must play a significant role in such a strategy.

4. The Commission has already contributed to the financing of a significant number of forest fire prevention projects under the framework programmes in the field of research and development (Fuego, Inflame, Prometheus, etc.), and continues to do so. It will proceed with these measures in future, as they have produced some convincing results. The Commission does not therefore believe it is justified to set up a European Research Centre for the purpose of preventing and combating forest fires in the Mediterranean countries of the European Union.

(1) OJ L 374, 31.12.1988, p. 25.

(2) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992.

(3) OJ C 170, 4.6.1998.