WRITTEN QUESTION E-4152/00

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Conservation of Great Apes

Can the Commission confirm its awareness of the negative impact upon the conservation of great apes of some European overseas development aid? Is it planning to take further action to ensure that, as far as possible, European aid is not provided if it is likely to contribute to the development of the illegal bushmeat industry?

Furthermore, has the Commission considered whether the import into the European Union of timber and wood products that have not been harvested in an environmentally responsible manner, including unrestricted hunting in concession areas, might be phased out or at least whether timber-related products might be labelled so as to provide increased information to the consumer on the origin of the products?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2001)

The Community is aware of the possible negative impact of development co-operation projects on the environment. To prevent this, all projects are screened to identify the need for a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA); and when necessary, a thorough EIA is carried out. This EIA determines the need for measures to mitigate against any possible negative impact, and to consider the advisability of financing the project. The Commission is not aware of any of its projects having negative impacts upon the conservation of great apes.

Moreover, the Community is supporting numerous projects and programmes in Central Africa that contribute specifically to the conservation and the sustainable use of tropical forests. Since 1992 a major Community regional programme in Central Africa (Ecofac) is aiming at the conservation of biodiversity, through the management and protection of several national parks hosting the largest populations of great apes on the continent. By funding and supporting this programme, and other initiatives in the region linked to it, the Commission is today by far the most important donor for the protection of great apes in Central Africa (total funding of these initiatives is around 70 million). The Community also supports the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, which include hunting and bushmeat issues. These criteria and indicators form a basis for forest certification and labeling of forest products coming from certified sources.

The Commission cannot phase out import of timber which is not certified, as this is for all practical purposes decisions made by the different importing companies. It is basically up to consumers to express their preferences in the market place. Forest certification and associated product labeling may be helpful in this regard.

Forest certification is a voluntary, market-driven process to support truly sustainable forest management, as verified by a third independent party according to internationally recognized criteria. The Commission supports development of such certification schemes and their mutual recognition.

The Community already promotes use of certain wood products from sustainably managed forests through its Eco-label, for instance for copy papers, and by granting tariff preferences for other sustainably produced wood products from developing countries. Moreover, the Commission is considering a possible validation scheme for various existing and emerging forest certification systems, which might eventually include a Community label.