WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/00 by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Commission. Aid for forest fires.
Date: 2000-11-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Canary Islands, EAGGF, European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, fire, fire protection, forest, forest conservation

C 163 E/104

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(4 December 2000)

The Commission deeply regrets the serious damage and tragic loss of human life which affected the north-
western territories of Italy.

The major floods which hit the region were the subject of a debate on 25 October 2000 at the October II
plenary session in Strasbourg. The Commission set out its position by recalling Community efforts as
regards improving and coordinating civil protection, efforts in research and the conditions determining the
intervention of the Structural Funds for rebuilding projects in regions affected by natural disasters.

With regard to financial assistance for affected areas and reinstating the budget line for emergency aid in
the event of natural disasters, as the Commission explained to the Parliament (1) on 25 October 2000, it
considers that since other possibilities for Community support exist and in view of the financial and
human resources available, other actions take higher priority at this stage.

Moreover, the Honourable Member is kindly requested to refer to the proposal for a Council Decision of
27 September 2000 instituting a Community mechanism for coordinating the intervention of civil
protection in an emergency (2).

Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and
private projects on the environment (3) amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (4), the
environmental impact assessment (EIA) Directive, does not cover cases of natural disasters.

(1) Debates of the European Parliament (October II 2000).
(2) COM(2000) 593 final.
(3) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(4) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2001/C 163 E/112)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/00

by Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 November 2000)

Subject: Aid for forest fires

During the summer of 2000 there was a large forest fire on La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain), which
affected over 3 000 hectares of canary pine forest, as well as farms and farming buildings and
infrastructure, and caused damage totalling € 10 million. This represents a significant proportion of the
final agricultural product of the island, which is in one of the Union(cid:146)s outermost regions.

What possibilities exist within the Community budget to help the local authorities deal with this disaster,
in the form of grants, compensation or special loans?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 December 2000)

The Commission is gravely concerned by the forest fires which broke out last summer in the Canary Islands
and elsewhere in the Community. The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that on
17 July 2000 (under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 of 23 July 1992 on protection of the
Community(cid:146)s forests against fire (1)) it approved an € 3,35 million programme for forest-fire prevention
in Spain during 2000, the Community(cid:146)s financial contribution being 50 %. The programme includes
specific provision for awareness campaigns and for identifying the causes of fires, but the Regulation does
not cover repairing farms, farm buildings and infrastructure, or restoring the natural environment.

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/105

However, the rural development programme does provide for assistance from the European Agricultural
Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) in order to restore forestry production potential damaged by fire
and to introduce appropriate prevention instruments in accordance with the sixth indent of Article 30(1)
of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the
EAGGF and amending and repealing certain Regulations (2).

The Commission is currently examining the proposal for an integrated ERDF, EAGGF Guidance Section,
ESF operational programme for the Canary Islands in 2000-2006, priority 3 of which relates to the
environment and provides for measures on protecting and regenerating the natural environment,
initiatives based on maintaining the
regenerating soils and land areas,
countryside and the agricultural economy. Once the programme has been adopted and the measures
have been expanded in the programming supplement, initiatives to repair the fire damage could be framed
in that context.

forestry, and environmental

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2001/C 163 E/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3393/00

by Othmar Karas (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Effects and benefits of the single currency

14 months before the changeover to the euro, public awareness of the single currency is not satisfactory in
any Member State of the euro zone. An important element of the information campaign jointly organised
by the Commission, Parliament and the Council must be to inform the public of the benefits and the
already manifest effects of the euro on growth and stability in the European Union.

When will
the Commission draw up and publish for this purpose a precise and detailed official
communication on those effects and benefits? Has the Commission agreed with the Member States to
incorporate such a communication into the national campaigns throughout Europe and thereby provide
the public with information?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2000)

The Commission will draw up a report on the positive effects of the euro early early in 2001. The report
will discuss the benefits of economic and monetary union (EMU) from the following viewpoints. The first
chapter will discuss the current economic situation and the smooth functioning of economic policy co-
ordination. In particular, the conduct of a stability oriented macro-economic policy has gained credibility.
The second chapter will highlight the progress which has been made in creating an efficient euro area
financial market. This will
investment activities of European
corporations. The third chapter will be concerned with the external aspects of EMU. While the deprecia-
tion has received too much public attention, the euro has protected the Community from internal
exchange rate distortions, which otherwise could have been expected, given the movements in the dollar
the preparations for the 2002
exchange rate and oil prices. Finally, the last chapter will highlight
changeover of bank notes and coins. The challenges and preparations foreseen for enterprises,
the
consumer and public administrations will be highlighted.

in particular benefit

the financing of

The Commission intends to finalise this report early in 2001. The Commission has not yet taken contact
with the national governments to include the report in the national information campaigns, but it does not
see any obstacles to including it if Member States wish to do so.