WRITTEN QUESTION E-2250/97 by Maartje van Putten (PSE) to the Commission (2 July 1997)

Subject: Timber felling in Surinam

The media in the Netherlands recently reported (once again) on the plundering of forests in Surinam by foreign - in particular, Asiatic - companies. In order to avoid having to secure permission from the National Assembly, it appears that a few large companies operate via phantom companies and a lot of small concessions.

1. Is the Commission aware of these reports and, if so, does it feel that this is a problem requiring international attention, given the protocol on forests in the Lomé Agreement, Agenda 21 and the current international debate on a forests convention?

2. Is the commercial exploitation of Surinam's forests one of the topics of the dialogue with Surinam in the context of Lomé cooperation?

3. If so, what is the Commission's opinion of the Surinam government's view of the plundering of forests by foreign firms?

4. What aid is being given by the Commission to the Surinam authorities or non-governmental organizations to encourage sustainable forest management and to counteract illegal forms of exploitation?

5. What opportunities does the Commission see for supporting the Surinam government and private organizations in taking more effective action against the environmentally and/or socially irresponsible exploitation of Surinam's forests?

6. Is the Commission prepared, in its cooperation with Surinam, to take the initiative in calling for a more effective approach and in working towards bringing it about?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (23 July 1997)

1. The Commission is aware of this renewed media attention. The Commission has expressed its concern to successive Surinamese governments and its support for sustainable management of forest resources as outlined in Protocol X of the Mauritius agreement revising the Lomé IV Convention.

2. The main objective of the Community's strategy in Suriname is the pursuit of sustainable economic development in a way which is not detrimental to the overall socio-economic and environmental balance. The issue of sustainable management of forest resources has therefore figured prominently in the discussions, both with the Surinamese government and with the Member States, on the preparation of the 8th European development fund (EDF) national indicative programme. Moreover, in communicating the 8th EDF financial envelope to Suriname, the Commission stressed the attention the Community attaches to the sustainability of the development process and to the respect of Protocol X in future cooperation. During the March 1997 programming mission culminating in the signing of the national indicative programme, Commission representatives again emphasised to the Surinamese goverment the importance the Community attaches to this issue. Finally during the November 1996 and April 1997 visits to the Commission by the Suriname minister for planning and development cooperation, the issue was again reviewed.

3. The new Surinamese government is genuinely aware of the need to manage its forest resources in a sustainable way, in full compliance with Agenda 21 and the Convention on biodiversity, while aiming to apply Protocol X in its cooperation with the Community. It has taken several positive steps in the field of forestry and environment: one-million hectares concessions are ruled out and future concessions wil be limited to only 150,000 hectares; forestry operators of unquestionable environmental reputation are being attracted; an environmental council is being set up, directly attached to the President, with an all-encompassing interdepartmental approach; it will develop a new environmental law and set up an environmental agency to execute and enforce the law, boosting research, performing environmental impact assessments and executing global structural studies on physical distribution of activities.

4. - 6. The Community, as a concrete response to the threatening forest crisis has launched a number of forest-related studies financed on the appropriate budget lines. A first study aims to establish an overall ecological and economic assessment and inventory of the Amazon rainforest eco-system; a more action-oriented forest sector study, currently under execution and expected to be completed this autumn, will allow the Commission to finalise a project proposal for the establishment and rehabilitation of a forest management authority for which 3.5 MECU of 7th EDF resources have been earmarked and which will be set up in full accordance with the recently adopted Commission guidelines for forest sector development cooperation. A tourism development project which was launched in 1996, will give particular attention to the development of eco-tourism in forest areas. The Commission has also been very actively involved in intensive donor coordination, together with the main donor, the Netherlands, and others such as the Inter-american development bank (IDB), the Food and agriculture organisation and the United States, as well as with a wide range of both international and local environmental pressure groups. As a result of these concerted efforts, certain donors have already started emergency field monitoring and controlling operations. Sustainable management of Suriname's forest resources is therefore clearly part and parcel of overall Community cooperation.