Takingtheaboveintoconsideration:
1. IstheCommissionawarethatitsproposalforaForestFocusregulationdoesnottallywiththerecent
case-lawoftheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunities,whichopposestherenationalisationofpolicyoncombatingfiresandarguesthatitshouldbedealtwithunderthecodecisionprocedurewithParliament?Whatargumentsjustifyupholdingthisproposalinitscurrentform?
2. IstheCommissionawareoftheadverseconsequenceswhichitsproposalforaForestFocusregulation
mighthaveasregardscombatingforestfiresatCommunitylevel?
3. WilltheCommissionamenditsproposaltobringitintolinewiththepreviousRegulation(EEC)
No 2158/92, particularly as regards restoring specific funding devoted solely to prevention andmanagementactivitiestoprotectforestsagainsttheriskoffire?
(1) OJL217,31.7.1992,p.3.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(11September2003)
TheCommunityhashelpeditsMemberStatesintheireffortstopreventforestfiresalthoughthemain
responsibility for the co-ordination and implementation of any forest policy is at national level.TheHonourableMemberisawareofthefactthataschemetoprotectandmonitorforestsagainstfirewasestablishedbyCouncilRegulation(EEC)No2158/92of23July1992whichexpiredattheendof2002.
On 15July 2002, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Parliament and Council Regulation
concerningthemonitoringofforestsandenvironmentalinteractionsintheCommunity(‘ForestFocus’).This proposal aims to establish a new Community scheme for forest monitoring and environmentalinteractionsinordertoprotecttheCommunity’sforestsfromeventssuchasatmosphericpollutionandforestfires.However,thescopeofthisproposalisbroaderthanthepreviousregulations,asotherissueswillbecovered(biodiversity,carbonsequestration,soils…).
This proposalis clearly focusedonmonitoring activities. It is stillunder political debate andwill be
discussedagaininautumn2003withintheParliament,whenitconsidersitssecondreading positionundertheco-decisionprocedure.
Variousforestfirepreventionmeasureshavebeenalreadyincorporatedforthemajorityoftheregionsof
theSouthernMemberStatesintotheirRuralDevelopmentPlans,draftedaccordingCouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999of17May1999(
1).Sofar,theyhavenotbeenincorporatedin‘ForestFocus’because
Unionlegislationdoesnotallowthesamemeasurestobefinancedbydifferentregulations.
Uptotheyear2006theCouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999and‘ForestFocus’togetherwouldcover
all the forest fire measures, both prevention and monitoring ones, previously covered by CouncilRegulation(EEC)No2158/92.
(1) CouncilRegulation(EC)No1257/1999of17May1999onsupportforruraldevelopmentfromtheEuropean
AgriculturalGuidanceandGuaranteeFund(EAGGF)andamendingandrepealingcertainRegulations,OJL160,
26.6.1999.
(2004/C58E/186) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2499/03
byChristopherHuhne(ELDR)totheCommission
(25July2003)
Subject:Beachcleanliness
IstheCommissionsatisfiedthatthecurrentstandardsofseawaterandbeachcleanlinessasmonitoredin
thebeachflaggingschemearehighenoughtoavoidanytemporaryhealthproblemsforseabathers?Willitcommentonrecentreportsthatseabathersarestilllikelytosufferstomachupsetsandotherhealth6.3.2004EN C58E/173 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
problemseven onapproved beaches? Ifthe Commissionis notfullysatisfied,whatmeasures doesit
proposetointroducetoimproveseaandbeachcleanliness?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(11September2003)
TheCommissionisawareofthefactthatcurrenthealthstandards,takenupbytheCouncilDirective
1976/160/ECof8December1975onthequalityofbathingwater(1)areoutdated,astheyarebasedon
scientificevidenceofthenineteensixties.Thisisoneofthemainreasonswhy,inOctober2002,theCommissionproposedarevisionoftheDirective(
2).Comparedtothe1976Directive,whichisstillin
force,thisproposedDirectivereducestherisksforbathersofcontractinggastro-enteritis(stomachupset)andAFRI(respiratoryillnesses)almostbyafactor3(
3).
Asitsnamestates,theDirectivedealswiththe(bacteriological)qualityofbathingwater,notwiththe
cleanlinessofthebeach.TheCommissionisnotinpossessionofscientificevidence,showingadose-response relation between beach contamination and visitor health problems. Nevertheless, the newDirectiveforeseesbeachinspectionsonalgae,tar,plasticandglassresidues.
TheproposedDirectiveiscurrentlybeingnegotiatedbytheParliamentandbytheCouncil.Untilentryinto
forceofthenewDirective,reportingwillbecarriedoutaccordingtothe1976BathingWaterDirective.Baseduponmeasuredbathingwaterquality,theCommissionindicatesannuallywhetherbathingwaterscomplywithImperativeorGuidevalues.Otherorganisationsmayusethisindicationforestablishingaflaggingscheme,but‘flags’arenotawardedbytheCommission.
(1) OJL31,5.2.1976.
(2) OJC45E,25.2.2003.
(3) BaseduponWorldHealthOrganisation(WHO)research,(Kayetal.,1994),publishedi.a.inFarnhamreport(2001).
(2004/C58E/187) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2508/03
byPaoloBartolozzi(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(29July2003)
Subject:ProceedingsforinfringementofCommunitydirectives
In response to reports from a number of private shipping companies, the Commission instituted
infringementproceedingsconcerningthecompaniesmakinguptheTirreniaGroupand,on21June2001,issuedDecisionC(2001)1684concerningtheTirreniadiNavigazionecompany(
1).
Tosumupthedecision,Tirreniaisrequiredto:
/dash separatethecostaccountingrelatingtopublicservicesfromthatrelatingtocommercialservices,
specifyingthecostofeachrouteplied;
/dash defacto,terminatethesixagreementsconcludedwiththeItalianstateforthe20yearsfrom1989to
2008;
/dash approve the 2000/2004five-year plan and the corresponding economic aid on condition that it
reducesitstransportcapacityinthesummerseasonby30%onanannualbasis.
Nostepshaveapparentlybeentakentodatetocomplyinfullandattherighttimewiththedecisions
issuedbytheCommission.
CouldtheCommissionmaketheappropriaterepresentationstotheItalianauthoritiestoensurethatthe
necessaryactionistakentoenforceDecisionC(2001)1684andhencethatthecriteriaimpliedinfaircompetitionarenotundermined?
(1) OJL318,4.12.2001,p.9.C58E/174 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion