WRITTEN QUESTION P-2964/02 by James Fitzsimons (UEN) to the Council. Forest Focus.
Date: 2002-10-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European forestry policy, Ireland, action programme, environmental monitoring, forest conservation

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/69

As regards specifically Greece and Turkey, both countries have come close to depositing jointly their
3.
instruments of ratification (for Greece) or accession (for Turkey) to the Ottawa Convention. Marking and
protection of Greek minefields along the Turkish border have, according to Greek sources, already resulted
in a reduction of accidents by almost 90 % (cf. Landmine Monitor Report 2002 of the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines).

(2003/C 155 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2964/02

by James Fitzsimons (UEN) to the Council

(15 October 2002)

Subject:

‘Forest Focus’

As the Council is aware, the Commission recently brought forward a proposal for a new scheme to be
known as ‘Forest Focus’ to protect Europe’s forests and to develop an awareness of the importance of
forests to our environment. Forests in the EU cover 36 % of the EU’s total landmass. Has the Council
considered this proposal which is backed by the European Parliament and what assurances can it give that
countries such as Ireland will be able to benefit from this programme?

Reply

(4 March 2003)

As the Honourable Member points out, the purpose of the proposal for a Regulation of the European
Parliament and of the Council concerning monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the
Community (Forest Focus)
forests and
environmental interactions to protect the Community’s forests.

is to establish a new Community scheme on monitoring of

The scheme would be based on the results obtained from two Council Regulations on monitoring the
impact of atmospheric pollution and fires on forest ecosystems, which expire at the end of 2002. The
Council is aware of the importance and the urgency of the matter and has already held five working party
meetings: on 24 July, 12 September, 1 October, 10 October and 4 November 2002. A further two
working party meetings were scheduled for November.

At its meeting on 9/10 December, the Council took note of a progress report on the latest work
concerning the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on monitoring of
forests and environmental interactions in the Community. On this occasion, the President welcomed the
very substantial progress
that had been made on the dossier. He called upon the Permanent
Representatives Committee to continue its efforts towards reaching a final agreement, if possible at first
reading, during the incoming Greek Presidency in early 2003, pending the European Parliament’s opinion.

(2003/C 155 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2979/02

by Anders Wijkman (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Large state subsidies to the German forestry industry

(22 October 2002)

The forestry sector in Germany has expanded considerably over the last decade as a result of state aid
being pumped into the industry. During the summer of 2002, Stendahl Pulp Mercer International decided
to expand even further. The German government is contributing 715 million in loans and grants of the
budget for this project, which amounts to some 800 million. State subsidies of this magnitude have an