B4-0980/95

Resolution on the drought in some parts of southern Europe

The European Parliament,

A.whereas many southern European regions, including Sicily, Andalusia, and vast areas of Greece and Portugal in particular, are being hit by severe drought and whereas, even at this early stage of the summer, the remaining water supplies in the places affected stand at only a minute fraction of reservoir capacity and indeed have fallen far below last summer's levels,

B.having regard to the serious damage already caused to cereal harvests and to the damage that is bound to be inflicted on citrus and fruit and vegetable crops in general, which are vital components of the local economies concerned,

C.whereas because of the water shortage, a substantial proportion of irrigation water has already been earmarked for use as drinking-water,

D.whereas the Italian Government has made plans for various Sicilian provinces to be declared disaster areas,

E.whereas, in its opinion of 18 May 1995 on the 1995/1996 farm prices, Parliament adopted an amendment inserting an Article 6b in Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 with a view to ensuring that any cultivation in excess of the regional base area would not incur a penalty in Member States affected by drought, provided that the total yield did not exceed the average for the reference years; whereas, in so doing, it proceeded from the premiss that drought has led to the development of alternative crops which have resulted in a saving for the Community budget,

F.whereas drought increases the vulnerability of forests, which, along with farming, perform a vital role in protecting and preserving the rural environment,

G.whereas it has become apparent that the countries concerned are not in a position on their own to take the steps required to combat this scourge,

H.whereas Community measures have hitherto proved woefully inadequate and largely failed to afford effective means of action,

1.Calls on the Commission to report to Parliament as soon as possible on the damage caused by drought in the last year, specifying what measures have been taken by the Member States and the Community;

2.Calls on the Commission to provide special emergency aid in the areas hardest hit and to give permission for national aids to be granted by way of exception to the agricultural sector;

3.Undertakes to increase the appropriations entered in the Community budget for measures to help drought-stricken areas;

4.Calls on the Commission to devise an overall strategy for water supplies in the areas most vulnerable to drought and to seek to ensure that the means and resources available to the Member States are combined and coordinated to more useful effect;

5.Calls on the Commission to bear in mind that in certain southern regions of the Community, drought is an endemic phenomenon that needs to be tackled not just by means of emergency operations, but above all through ongoing targeted action to achieve permanent solutions;

6.Urges the Commission to use the amendment adopted by the EP when it voted on the 1995/1996 farm price package as a starting-point for comprehensive measures to aid regions affected by drought;

7.Calls on the Commission to sponsor a campaign to encourage individuals and public and private bodies to use water more wisely;

8.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.