WRITTEN QUESTION E-0467/01 by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE), Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE), Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) and Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Protection of forests from fires and the Commission's future strategy in this area.
Date: 2001-02-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European forestry policy, ecological balance, environmental risk prevention, fire protection, forest conservation, rural development, sustainable development

C 235 E/212

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

(2001/C 235 E/247)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0467/01

by Ioannis Averoff (PPE-DE), Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE),
Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) and Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 February 2001)

Subject: Protection of forests from fires and the Commission(cid:146)s future strategy in this area

Regulation (EEC) 2158/92 (1) on protection of the Community(cid:146)s forests against fire is due to expire in
2001. However, at the last meeting of the standing committee on forestry which was held in France, the
Commission notified the Member States that it intended to review this Regulation and that it was
examining the possibility of incorporating it in the new Council Regulation (EC) 1257/1999 (2) on support
for rural development.

This would mean approaching the problem of fires from an agricultural, rather than an environmental
point of view, and actions so far funded under Regulation (EEC) 2158/92 would no longer be eligible.

1. What stage has work reached on reviewing regulation (EEC) 2158/92, and, given its consequences,
what purpose will this serve?

2.
Given the importance of this Regulation for the Mediterranean countries, the European Parliament
has already pointed out that the budget for these matters should be increased. Does the Commission
intend to review the scheduled budget and increase it from € 50 million to € 77 million?

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Members to its answer to Written Question E-0247/01 by
Mr Alavanos (1).

(1) See p. 161.

(2001/C 235 E/248)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0469/01

by Luis Berenguer Fuster (PSE) to the Commission

(21 February 2001)

Subject: Use of cattle hides

The measures adopted with a view to combating bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) provide for the
mandatory incineration of animals that are infected or may be at risk from infection. This means of
disposal, whereby hides are not removed from the animals beforehand, may lead to supply-related
problems for certain industries, such as the shoe industry, which use these hides as a raw material.

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, could hides be removed from cattle prior to incineration for subsequent use by
industry?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2001)

Current Community measures on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) do not prohibit the removal of
cattle hides before disposal of the rest of the body, if the hides are destined for leather production, unless
they are derived from animals which are suspected of being infected or are infected by a transmissible
spongiform encephalopathy (TSE).