RESOLUTION B3-1158/92

Resolution on summer forest fires and urgent measures to be taken under existing provisions for combating them

The European Parliament,

A.whereas two thirds of Europe's forests, namely 35 million hectares, are permanently or periodically exposed to the risk of fire,

B.whereas over 400 000 hectares of forest or subforest areas have been destroyed during 1992,

C.whereas the forestation of large areas of marginal land withdrawn from agricultural production is one of the principal measures envisaged in the reform of the common agricultural policy,

D.whereas it is crucially important to prevent future forest fires endangering or even completely obliterating the effects of programmes and investments either underway or scheduled to take place under the Community support frameworks and as accompanying measures to the common agricultural policy,

1.Urges the Commission to report to Parliament on the situation following the forest fires which occurred in the summer of 1992 and provide an assessment of the measures adopted by Member States;

2.Calls on the Commission to provide information on the progress made by Member States in presenting their programmes to combat forest fires;

3.Proposes that the Council and the Member States strengthen existing preventive measures of an administrative, civil or penal nature, in their respective areas of responsibility; considers that, in view of the total destruction of ecosystems caused by forest fires, they should be regarded as ecological crimes;

4.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission and the governments of the Member States.