Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-01-18-Speech-2-158"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000118.6.2-158"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Commissioner, I would like to thank you for the ideas you have put forward, particularly on the very specific proposals concerning the people affected and who are expecting a lot from the European Union, in terms of the help that we can offer them. In the days immediately following this terrible storm I wrote to you myself with a request for you to ask the French authorities to redraw the boundaries of Objective 2 so that all areas devastated by the storms in France and elsewhere could benefit from Objective 2. I think that you must have done so, because you have not mentioned it. In fact, we all know that anyone who does not live within the perimeter of an Objective 2 region will find it all but impossible to obtain aid. We should therefore put this situation right immediately.
You also know that this will not only be a short-term problem, but also a medium and long-term one. Let me explain. I was in the region of Lorraine at the time of this terrible storm which destroyed around 20% of deciduous forest. Indeed, for some ‘forestry’ districts, which have lost 20% of their trees, this represents a huge loss. We know, for example, that it takes between 150 and 200 years for a tree to reach maturity, so the loss these towns will suffer will not be spread over one, two or five years, but over many more. The towns concerned estimate that it will be spread over 40 years. I think that consequently it will be extremely difficult indeed to compensate these rural towns through subsidies for losses in their financial revenues. I think that this is something which we should continually bear in mind so that we do not lose sight of it in our various policies.
It is true that the problem of the forestry sector is an extremely complex one. Indeed, you spoke of releasing funds for timber storage on the grounds that its price must not depreciate. On the other hand, districts which have not been affected by the storms will also suffer, as the National Forestry Office has decided to freeze cuts in forestation for four years. Those districts which have not suffered losses will therefore see their incomes decrease in any case. I am telling you all of this to illustrate how complex the problem is, and I thank the Commission once again for extending their analysis of this situation as far as it could.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that, although there has indeed been an economic disaster, the real ecological catastrophes are still to come. As you yourself said, Commissioner, these disasters or storms do not always have natural causes, and we think that these are the first signs of climate change. We should therefore review our policies in order to take account of this fact."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples