WRITTEN QUESTION E-1496/02 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Irish broadleaf afforestation under CAP 2000-2006.
Date: 2002-05-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European forestry policy, Ireland, common agricultural policy, forest plantation

C 301 E/162

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

(2002/C 301 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1496/02

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 May 2002)

Subject: Irish broadleaf afforestation under CAP 2000-2006

The Agricultural Directorate of the European Commission has agreed to increased broadleaf targets with
Ireland under the Common Agricultural Policy 2000-2006. The Commission was assured by Ireland that
the current planting target of 20 % broadleaves would be increased to 30 % by 2006. This target is still
below the European which reverses the predominance of conifers and favours the planting of broadleaves,
which offer more value-added opportunities and community employment than a non-native conifer
plantation and do not create the severe environmental problems related to conifers in terms of
acidification.

Irish environmental groups predicted that the rebalancing of grants for CAP 2000-2006 was weighted in
favour of conifers in spite of the Irish authorities’ assurances to the contrary. In fact the broadleaf planting
rate has fallen in Ireland in the last three years from 15,12 % in 1999 to 12,91 % in 2000 and, in figures
released recently, the broadleaf planting rate for 2001 fell back to 12,43 %.

Would the Commission investigate this situation and determine why Ireland’s agreement with the
Commission’s DG Agriculture is not being enforced?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

According to the information provided by the Forestry Service in Ireland upon request of the Commission,
it should be noted that:

(a)

the figures concerning broadleaf planting in recent years are as follows:

(cid:1) 1999: 21,5 %;

(cid:1) 2000: 20,0 %;

(cid:1) 2001: 17,5 %.

These figures differ from figures mentioned by the Honourable Member. According to the Forestry
Service this could be explained by the fact that figures mentioned by the Honourable Member
(reported by the same Forestry service) show broadleaf planting only as areas, which are paid for as
broadleaf. This ‘broadleaf
include broadleaf planted under non-broadleaf grant
categories such as 20 % diverse conifer category or for landscape/environmental reasons.

total’ does not

The outturn for 2001, which would have been expected to be comfortably over 20 %, did not reach
this target. This was discussed at the second Monitoring Committee on the Common Agricultural
Policy Rural Development Plan convened on 30 May 2002, Portlaoise.

The Forestry Service indicated that significant
in the year 2002 in the broadleaf
plantation could be expected as witnessed by the delivery of broadleaf plants from the nurseries in the
planting season just ended.

improvement

(b) The Forestry Service has established an in-house working group, which is examining the changes
needed to meet the target of 30 % by the year 2006, agreed with the Commission. The Commission
will continue to monitor in partnership with the Irish authorities progress towards realisation of this
target.