WRITTEN QUESTION E-2444/01

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Forest fires

At the end of the summer, year after year, the Union's southern Member States go through the sad routine of tallying up, like the number of deaths on the roads, just how many forest fires have occurred and how many hectares of woodland have been lost.

Does the Commission believe that, given the relentless rate of forest fires in certain regions of the Union, there will actually be any woodlands for future generations to enjoy?

Can the Commission state the value, in forestry and biological terms, of the woodlands burnt this summer in a region prone to prolonged droughts and desertification like Andalusia?

Is the Commission aware of the real scale of the fire in the Cazorla national park at Segura la Villas, a biosphere reserve, whose maintenance and conservation benefit from funding under various Community programmes?

Does the Commission not believe that there is a real problem in attempting to run and maintain these nature reserves on the tiny budgets allocated them by the relevant authorities?

Does the Commission not believe that the Community authorities should be directly involved in this area, given the overwhelming importance of these natural spaces to the Community as a whole, and that the Community authorities should be more directly involved in administering reserves which receive significant funding?

Does the Commission not believe that checks and controls closer to the ground, in collaboration with the regional or in the case of Spain, Autonomous authorities, and increased financial and technical support, could reduce the alarmingly high numbers of hectares destroyed by fire?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 2001)

Every year, the forests in the southern Member States of the EU are affected by a very large number of fires. According to the latest figures the Commission has for the period 1 July to 31 August 2001 33 833 fires affected 98 600 hectares (ha) in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.

The Member States and the Commission are not ignoring this phenomenon. Each year substantial financial resources are allocated for protecting forests against fire, raising public awareness, combating the causes, active fire-fighting, setting up protective infrastructure (firebreaks, water supply points, tracks) and surveillance. The Commission, in particular, contributes under the programmes provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, of 17 May 1999, on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain Regulations(1), and Council Regulation (EC) No 2158/92, of 23 July 1992, on the protection of the Community's forests against fire(2). As a result, despite the very high number of fires, the surface area affected has been decreasing since the early 1990s.

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that on average, as statistics indicate, the amount of forested land is increasing for several reasons: forest naturally colonises abandoned farmland; active forestation and reforestation policies have been implemented, notably in Spain; Mediterranean forest, which has probably been affected by fire for a very long time, has adapted and has considerable regeneration capacity. So the 98 600 ha burnt this year have not been totally destroyed.

Nevertheless, the problem is very worrying. The number of fires is growing each year. They often affect the same areas, gradually causing them to deteriorate beyond repair. In certain regions, where there are no buffer zones such as farms to stop fires spreading and the forest cover is continuous, major fires are a real threat.

Between January 2001 and 31 August 2001, 836 fires, including 213 of over one hectare, affected 5 625 ha in Andalucia, i.e. 0,1 % of the Andalucian forest. Of this, 3 060 ha were classified as woodland. The Commission does not have any information on the biological value of the forests destroyed.

The Commission was informed that the fire in the Cazorla national park affected 836 ha, mainly artificially reforested areas, planted with Pinus Pinaster. The area of the park with the highest ecological value was not affected.

The responsibility for financing nature conservation and nature reserves lies with Member States, either through national or local authorities. Financing nature reserves requires allocation of sufficient resources. The Commission does not have comprehensive information on national budgets allocated for natural reserves in each Member State and thus cannot judge if the resources made available are adequate for the management of these areas. However, under the Habitats Directive there is a need to address the financial requirements of areas included in the Natura 2000 network and currently the Commission is working on this issue.

The Commission believes that responsibility for the management of the reserves of a Member State lies with the State, which is responsible both for management decisions and their implementation. The Commission recognises the importance of these areas for the Community and has therefore developed policies and instruments for their protection. Sites of Community Importance are being protected Union-wide through the Natura 2000 network, and the Commission provides substantial funding for the management of these areas. However, the national or local authorities are responsible for administering these areas and the funding they receive from different sources (LIFE, Structural Funds, etc.).

The Community is not responsible for implementing preventive measures to reduce the number of forest fires and the damage they cause. However, as far as it can, the Commission is trying to bring together the national operational centres for forest fire fighting to encourage not only the exchange of experience with regard to prevention, but also practical cooperation. Experience has shown that such cooperation, in the form of mutual assistance and technical advice, is important and produces good results. However, forest fire experts believe that monitoring operations on the ground, however well managed, cannot prevent people from starting fires deliberately.

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992.