Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-09-14-Speech-1-145"
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"en.20090914.25.1-145"2
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"Madam President, how interesting that it is mainly the Greeks who are speaking on this highly important issue of concern to the whole of southern Europe, given that huge forest fires regularly destroy massive areas and affect the quality of life, biodiversity, regional development and citizens’ futures.
Often forest fires, as was recently the case in Greece, are due to poorly designed and conflicting forestry and housing policies, which encourage arson and illegal action to obtain forest land. Unfortunately, both the main parties have tried to mitigate and reduce the constitutional protection of forests.
The constant pressure for changes to land use, the expansion of residential areas and, of course, the uncontrolled rubbish dumps which are burned or which combust spontaneously, in conjunction with climate change, and which, for some people, are simple alibis, are now increasing the potential for more natural disasters.
It is therefore important that we focus more on prevention, protection and on prompt risk management, at European level, through coordinated cooperation. Within this framework, we must safeguard the application of a sustainable common European forest policy and ensure that funds from the Cohesion Fund, the Regional Development Fund and the Solidarity Fund which are earmarked for risk prevention and management and for the restoration of affected areas are, in fact, used in a rational and sustainable manner.
The funds disbursed in order to restore affected areas must be used on the basis of rational reforestation measures and scientific studies and we would emphasise that they must be refunded by the Member States where it is ascertained that the forest areas affected have been reclassified for residential or tourist development.
In the past, even two years ago, Parliament passed resolutions containing recommendations for the prevention of, and prompt action on, natural risks which, unfortunately, have not been implemented effectively. We believe that long-term protection of forests and biodiversity is only feasible if viable risk prevention and management policies are applied at national, regional and local level, by actively involving local communities, by keeping people in the countryside, by creating new ‘green’ professions, though lifelong learning and training, and by strengthening forestry services with the emphasis on voluntary forest fire-fighting brigades.
Finally, we need to step up efforts to develop more effective rapid response mechanisms to natural disasters by strengthening the permanent civil protection force which Mr Dimas referred to and by making greater use of the conclusions in the Barnier report. Within this framework, we are tabling a resolution today before the European Parliament, in the hope that we shall make headway, in terms of joint action and cooperation by the Member States, towards real prevention and management of natural disasters and more effective use of European Union funds for this purpose. We owe it to our children."@en1
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