WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/97 by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission (29 July 1997)

Subject: Fires in Greece

In recent years, large areas of public forest in Greece have been incinerated during the summer months, destroying Europe's Mediterranean ecosystem. Early in July, the Sheik-Sou forest constituting the Thessaloniki green belt was destroyed by fire, while incalculable fire damage also occurred in Ilia, Messinia, the island of Ios and elsewhere.

Almost every case has revealed the lack of a planned response to the outbreak of fires and failure to maintain fire-fighting aircraft in a state of readiness. In addition, forest land destroyed by fire has been declassified and subsequently built upon and redeveloped, which is quite unacceptable. Given that, within the EU, Greece is the Member State with the largest areas of forest land destroyed by fire, can the Commission provide the following information:

In addition to essential financial assistance, will the Commission (in accordance with the EP resolutions of 29 September 1994 ((OJ C 305, 31.10.1994, p. 102. )) and 21 September 1995 ((OJ C 269, 16.10.1995, p. 174. )), review the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Member State in question? What steps can it take to ensure that, within the framework of environmental protection in the EU, forest land damaged by fire is not used for redevelopment, that reafforestation is made compulsory and that Member States failing to comply are censured?

What has it done to date to establish a common forestry policy and what fire-fighting measures will it adopt as part of its regional planning? More generally, which of the measures called for by the EP in its above resolutions have been adopted by the Commission?

Answer given by Mr. Fischler on behalf of the Commission (17 October 1997)

The Commission is aware of the seriousness of the forest fire problem for protection of persons, property and forests themselves. Both the fires of past years and those at the beginning of this summer in Greece have shown the entire Community the prime importance of adequate forest protection.

This is why the Council has acted in a way fully consistent with the Honorable Member's concerns as evinced in her references to the 1994 and 1995 resolutions by renewing for five years (1997-2001) the Community scheme for improving protection against forest fires ((Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on protection of the Community's forests against fire (OJ L 217, 31.7.1992), prolonged by Regulation (EC) No 308/97 (OJ L 51, 21.2.1997) )). The reference amount for the new period is ECU 70 million.

The Commission's proposal for renewal of this scheme was accompanied by a report to Parliament and the Council on its application from 1992 to 1996. Under the scheme financial assistance is granted to the Member States for studies to identify the causes of fires and action to improve prevention and monitoring. To be eligible proposals must relate to zones recognized by the Commission as at risk and form part of protection plans, approved by the Commission, for these zones.

The report also covered the achievements of the Community forest fire information system set up to help improve analysis of the causes of fires and so contribute to the devising of more effective protection strategies. It now permits analysis covering almost 500 000 fires occurring between 1985 and 1995 in 319 provinces/departments of France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Over the period 1992-96 Community assistance of ECU 13 million was granted for 57 Greek projects. A further ECU 2.35 million was approved at the beginning of July for 5 new projects for 1997.

Under the Community support framework expenditure of ECU 176.4 million from the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund has been approved for forest development and protection over the period 1994-99.

It must however be remembered that spatial planning and forestry policy, e.g. changes of land classification and decisions to reafforest following a fire, are the preserve of Member States.

The Commission is at present drawing up the components of a European forestry strategy, following the exact recommendations of Mr. Thomas' report on Community forestry policy adopted by Parliament in January 1997.

Anti-fire measures for forests are the responsibility of each Member State but the Commission, in the framework of Community cooperation on civil protection, has launched a number of initiatives in this area designed to boost exchange of experience and improve mutual assistance between Member States and to encourage training of personnel. National contact points on call round the clock have been designated in each country.