Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-12-Speech-3-249"
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"en.20030212.8.3-249"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, year after year Portuguese forests are the silent victims of fires, which are becoming increasingly frequent, intense and devastating. Every summer brings with it this national scourge and its consequences, which are tragic at various levels: economic, ecological, social and human. Our forest heritage is gradually burning down and disappearing.
Sustainable forest management is becoming increasingly complex and technical. Apart from fires, forests are exposed to other, more recent threats, caused by atmospheric pollution and climate change. It is always worth reminding fellow Members and making them aware of the importance of forests and their resources. To do this, it shall suffice to state that forests represent around 40% of the Union’s territory, a percentage that will increase once the process of enlargement is concluded.
I therefore warmly welcome the Forest Focus Programme, a Community initiative that will help to protect and value forests in Portugal and throughout the Community. European Union policy dovetails perfectly with cooperation in gathering data and in sharing experience and information amongst the various Member States.
The Commission’s initiative takes account of the legislative framework in force to protect forests against fires and atmospheric pollution and furthermore introduces a new Community mechanism for the long-term monitoring of forests and environmental interactions. For this programme’s financial support, it has been decided to allocate it a multiannual financial framework, covering the period 2003-2008, totalling EUR 67 million.
Monitoring is actually the key word in this proposal. I therefore heartily support Mrs Redondo Jiménez’s idea that it makes perfect sense to maintain specific measures for fire protection and rural development.
I also agree that this proposal must cover the commitments given in the Convention on Climate Change, which portrays forests as sinks full of greenhouse gases. Lastly, I am bound to regret the fact that the Commission proposal abuses the principle of subsidiarity, giving the Member States a rather passive role whereas it is their forests that suffer the damage. Even more serious is the fact that the Commission proposal does not cover the measures to prevent forest fires previously funded under Regulation No 2158/92. I therefore support all the amendments to the proposal that are intended to give the Member States greater involvement."@en1
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