Considerations on COM(2002)404 - Monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the EC (Forest Focus) - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2002)404 - Monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the EC (Forest Focus). |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2002)404  |
| date | November 17, 2003 |
(2) The condition of forests can be seriously affected by natural factors such as extreme weather conditions, attacks from parasites and diseases or human influences such as climate change, fires and air pollution. Such threats can seriously distort and even destroy forests. Most natural and anthropogenic factors affecting forests can have cross-border effects.
(3) The Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on a forestry strategy for the European Union stressed the need to protect the natural environment and the forest heritage, to manage forests sustainably and to support international and pan-European cooperation concerning the protection of forests, making reference to forest monitoring and the promotion of forests as carbon sinks. The Council, in its resolution of 15 December 1998 on a forestry strategy for the European Union(5), called upon the Commission to evaluate and improve continuously the effectiveness of the European monitoring system of forest health and to take into account all the potential impacts on forest ecosystems. It also called upon the Commission to pay special attention to the development of the Community forest fire information system, which enables the effectiveness of the protection measures against fires to be better assessed.
(4) Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down the sixth Community environment action programme(6) identifies the need to base the drawing-up, implementation and evaluation of environmental policies on a knowledge-based approach and, in particular, the need for monitoring the multiple roles of forests in line with recommendations adopted by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Convention on Biodiversity and other forums.
(5) The Community and the Member States are committed to implementing internationally agreed activities relating to the conservation and protection of forests, in particular, the proposals for actions of the intergovernmental panel and Forum on Forests, the expanded work programme on forest biological diversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.
(6) The Community has already addressed two of the causes adversely affecting forest ecosystem conditions by means of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 of 17 November 1986 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution(7) and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 of 23 July 1992 on protection of the Community's forests against fire(8).
(7) Both regulations expired on 31 December 2002 and it is in the general interest of the Community to continue and further develop the monitoring activities established by those regulations by integrating them into a new scheme called 'Forest Focus'.
(8) The scheme should be reconciled with existing national, European and international systems, having due regard for the Community's competence in respect of forests, in accordance with its forestry strategy and without prejudice to the principle of subsidiarity.
(9) Measures under the scheme concerning forest fire monitoring should complement those measures which are undertaken, in particular, pursuant to Council Decision 1999/847/EC of 9 December 1999 establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection(9), Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)(10) and Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 of 29 May 1989 establishing a European forestry information and communication system (EFICS)(11).
(10) The scheme should encourage the exchange of information on the condition of and harmful influences on forests in the Community and enable the evaluation of ongoing measures to promote conservation and protection of forests for the benefit of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on actions taken to reduce impacts negatively affecting forests.
(11) The protection of forest from fires is a matter of particular importance and urgency in order, inter alia, to fight against desertification and to avoid their negative effects on climate change. It is crucial to avoid any interruption of the actions put in place by Member States in accordance with the expired Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92. Therefore, this Regulation should cover preventive measures that are not supported by Regulation (EC) No 1257/99 and not included in national or regional rural development programmes.
(12) In order to promote a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between forests and the environment, the scheme should also include monitoring of other important factors such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, climate change, soils and the protective function of forests. The scheme should therefore comprise actions in order to provide for a broader range of objectives and a flexible implementation, while building on the achievements made pursuant to Regulations (EEC) No 3528/86 and (EEC) No 2158/92. It should provide for appropriate, cost-efficient monitoring of forests and environmental interactions.
(13) The Member States should implement the scheme through national programmes to be approved by the Commission following a procedure to be set up.
(14) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, should ensure the coordination, monitoring and development of the scheme and report on it, in particular to the Standing Forestry Committee set up by Council Decision 89/367/EEC(12).
(15) The monitoring of forests and environmental interactions can only provide reliable and comparable information to protect forests in the Community if data are collected on the basis of harmonised methods. Such comparable information at Community level would contribute towards the establishment of a platform containing spatial data deriving from various sources of common environmental information systems. It is therefore appropriate to prepare manuals laying down the methods to be used for monitoring the condition of forests, the format of the data and rules for data handling.
(16) The Commission should use the data collected under this scheme in relation to carbon sequestration, climate change and impact on biodiversity in order to contribute to the reporting commitments under the relevant conventions and protocols, consistently with their provisions. If problems of inconsistency arise, the Commission should take any possible action with a view to reaching a positive solution.
(17) The Commission and the Member States should cooperate with other international bodies in the field of forest monitoring at an international or pan-European level, and, in particular, the international cooperative programme on assessment and monitoring of air pollution effects on forests (hereinafter referred to as 'ICP Forests'), in order to promote conservation and protection of forests for the benefit of sustainable development.
(18) This Regulation lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(13), for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure.
(19) It is appropriate to determine the volume of the Community contribution to activities financed under the scheme.
(20) In order to ensure the continuity of monitoring activities there is a need exceptionally to allow expenditure incurred by a Member State to be eligible for co-financing if it relates to actions that were launched after 1 January 2003 and before the entry into force of this Regulation, provided that these actions have not been completed when the Commission approves the related national programme.
(21) Member States should designate the authorities and agencies responsible for the handling and forwarding of data and for the administration of the Community contribution.
(22) Member States should also draw up reports on various monitoring activities, which should be submitted to the Commission.
(23) The data should be disseminated taking into account the UN/ECE 1998 Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention) and relevant Community provisions on access to environmental information.
(24) The measures of general scope necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(14).
(25) The Standing Forestry Committee should assist the Commission by use of the regulatory procedure in accordance with the criteria set out in Article 2(b) of that Decision.
(26) It is important to keep the scheme under review and assess its effectiveness, in order to identify needs to be addressed. The Commission should report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the scheme, in particular in view of its continuation beyond the implementation period fixed in this Regulation.
(27) Since the objectives of the proposed action, namely the monitoring of forests, their condition and environment interactions, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can, therefore, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.
(28) The Europe Agreements between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe, of the other part, provide for participation of these countries in Community programmes, in particular in the field of the environment. The scheme should also be open to participation by other European countries.
(29) In the light of the expiry of Regulations (EEC) No 3528/86 and (EEC) No 2158/92 and in order to avoid any overlap or discontinuity it is appropriate for this Regulation to apply from 1 January 2003.