Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-23-Speech-2-178"
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"en.20030923.5.2-178"2
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"Mr President, I would like to draw attention to three different issues in relation to this debate. They are forest fire prevention, East Timor and economic and social cohesion.
The tragic fires which have devastated southern Europe, especially Portugal, where 5% of the land area and 11% of woodland has been consumed by flames, makes clear the need to increase assistance for measures to prevent forest fires. Sadly, a retrograde step has been taken in the form of the new Forest Focus programme. In its resolution of 4 September, the European Parliament insisted that the amount of appropriations for the European Union should, within the framework of the draft Forest Focus regulation, be the same as in the previous 1992 regulation on the protection of forests from fires with a view to funding appropriate forest fire prevention measures. We have, therefore, made a proposal suggesting that another EUR 6 million be allocated to the programme and that prevention issues be clearly included in it. We hope this proposal will be approved. I would like to know, nevertheless, whether the Commission agrees with increasing the amounts and including preventive measures in the Forest Focus programme.
Turning to East Timor: in its preliminary draft budget, the Commission has removed the specific aid line and reduced aid by around 70%. This is unacceptable. We have, therefore, tabled another amendment with a view to restoring the amount of aid to the EUR 25.5 million programmed in 2003. We hope that Parliament will support this amendment, as in the past, but I would also like to know how the Commission can justify this cut, given the discussions held on the budget during 2003 and the various difficulties and areas of instability still existing in East Timor.
Finally, in view of the fact that this draft Community budget is the lowest, in relative terms, since 1987, representing less than 1% of Community gross national income, I would like to know how the principle of economic and social cohesion in the European Union will be safeguarded. I would ask, in particular, how we will fight for social inclusion and employment growth, given that enlargement in 2004 will see the accession of 10 new countries whose average
income is only about 40% of the Community average. As I believe it is impossible to achieve economic and social cohesion with this budget, I would like to ask the Commission whether it wants to abolish economic and social cohesion through future amendments to the Treaties."@en1
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