Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-14-Speech-5-111"
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"en.20000414.5.5-111"2
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"Mr President, the natural disaster which overtook European countries was tragic. I am in complete agreement with the Members who have spoken on the matter and, believe me, the Commission would love to be able to do something about it. Yet neither the Treaties nor the budgetary regulations provide for this possibility.
As I said before, no Community framework exists which would allow the Commission to adopt initiatives to provide direct aid to the forestry sector. Moreover, the same applies within the framework of Regulation 1257/99. It is the Member State itself which has to adopt the necessary initiatives and provide for appropriate aid. According to the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission cannot direct resources from the rural development programme towards channels supporting the timber industry following storm damage. The Commission cannot apply competition regulations to authorise national aid or joint financing initiatives under the provisions of Regulation 1257/99. Moreover, negotiations are in progress with the Member States and I have made it quite clear that, within its institutional and legal capabilities, the Commission is doing everything in its power and more, and is being as flexible as it possibly can.
It is unfortunate that the institutional authorities have decided that forestry policy is to be governed by subsidiarity, and that it does not fall within the competences of the Commission but is wholly the responsibility of the Member States. This is something which the Commission cannot change for the moment for that would mean amending the Treaty, although reform of the Treaties is currently being discussed.
I therefore call upon all Members who are convinced that subsidiarity should not apply to forestry issues but should be the remit of the Community to make representations to their national governments to this effect."@en1
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