EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/420

(2004/C 78 E/0441)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2722/03

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

(3 September 2003)

Subject: Application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158 on protection of the Community's forests against fire

This summer, large areas of the southern EU countries have been seriously affected by raging fires. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 (1) of 23 July 1992 on protection of the Community's forests against fire expired nine months ago. Can the Commission give details of the commitment and payment appropriations applying whilst the regulation was in force? Furthermore, do other Community-funded measures to prevent fires exist? If so, what have the respective commitment and payment appropriations been?

Can the Commission provide information about the distribution of appropriations for each Member State for at least the previous five years, including, for Spain, a breakdown for each of the Autonomous Communities, with regard to both Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 and any other Community-funded measure for preventing fires?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2003)

As the Honourable Member points out, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 of 23 July 1992 on protection of the Community's forests against fire expired on 31 December 2002.

During the 11 years of its period of application (1992 to 2002), 798 individual projects plus 18 national programmes enabled the Community to provide part-financing of EUR 263,6 million, i.e. the total amount invested in protection measures in the six Member States with land presenting a fire risk (Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain) in the areas of information campaigns and the causes of fires, monitoring, installation of tracks, firebreaks and water supply points, training specialised personnel, and the introduction of pilot measures. Limited to 50 % in high-risk areas and 30 % in medium-risk areas, Community commitment appropriations accounted for EUR 123,6 million or 47 % of the total cost.

The table below shows the distribution by Member State of commitment and payment appropriations under Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 for the period 1992 to 2002.

(million euros) Member State Commitment appropriations Payment appropriations Germany 6,4 3,3 Greece 25,2 20,3 Spain 22,6 14,2 France 23,5 14,4 Italy 24 7,5 Portugal 21,9 11,4 Total 123,6 71,1

However, only part of the forest fire protection measures were funded under Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92.

The Structural Funds, in the form of operational programmes (EAGGF Guidance Section) and rural development programmes (EAGGF Guarantee Section) account for a major part of Community financing for forest fire prevention measures.

Here the appropriations available are much higher and the Community contribution rates can be as much as 80 % of total funding in certain Objective 1 regions.

The information which the Commission has on the Structural Funds relates to appropriation forecasts for the period 2000 to 2006 and budget implementation in the period from 2000 to the first half of 2003.

They do not cover forest fire prevention measures alone, but all ‘forestry’ measures as provided for in Article 30 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 (2), with the exception of afforestation of farmland, operational programmes and rural development programmes.

However, it is safe to assume that a large part of the forestry measures carried out (not including afforestation) under those programmes covering high- and medium-risk areas relate to forest fire prevention.

Thus the tables sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament Secretariat give the following information for Spain, by Autonomous Community:

— the breakdown of commitment appropriations and appropriation forecasts for the period 2000 to 2006 (2000 to 2002 in the case of Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92),

— the breakdown of payment appropriations and appropriation execution for the period 2000 to the first half of 2003.

It should be noted that most of the appropriations allocated to Spain under Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 related to national measures (campaigns to inform and educate the public and surveillance) submitted by the Ministry of the Environment.

Unlike the Structural Funds, and as was the case with the other Member States concerned by this Regulation, public part-financing was not compulsory, and private funding could be sufficient.

The Honourable Member will note that the Spanish regions relied heavily on the Structural Funds. Only the Basque Country made significant use of Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92.

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992, p. 3.

(2) 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, OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.