Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-05-Speech-1-080"
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"en.20050905.18.1-080"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, since the end of July I have been keeping a close eye on the terrible tragedy of the forest fires throughout the country. Quite apart from the widespread destruction, it has caused panic and taken lives. There have been 18 fatalities in Portugal, including one Pedro Figueiredo, a dedicated firefighter from Oliveira de Azeméis, who was due to run in the October local elections on the basis of his extraordinary civic and community dedication.
The threat of large-scale fires has not gone away; it is still present. As recently as last night, coming from the interior of the country to make the journey here, I passed the great fire of Sardoal, which was still burning. We knew that this was going to happen this year, not only because of the experience of previous years and the weather forecasts, but also because our forests had become increasingly vulnerable as a result of the drought, the other plague ravaging my country and its countryside for a number of months now.
In April, during the debate and in Parliament’s resolution, which I was involved in tabling, the risk was already clearly forecast and clearly apparent. This is why I was taken aback by the apparent initial surprise that characterised the response and by the hesitation in some countries. I was similarly surprised by the decision taken by the Council of Ministers in June to scrap the firebreak subsidy. This decision was entirely incorrect in and of itself and especially absurd in a year such as this. The dire problem of the forest fires has created a deep sense that the Portuguese countryside has no hope, that it is unsustainable, and that it has been abandoned and neglected. Our forest is one of our greatest national treasures. There are many reasons why it is so vulnerable, and we must address all of them.
Consequently, as chairman of the party, I have tabled a proposal to set up a national agenda for the defence of the forest. Our desire is to work with others to ensure that this agenda is implemented rigorously and consistently until such time as we achieve security. It is also necessary, however, to look into the European-level implications of the issue and the reasons why Europe must step up its involvement in these activities. One of the reasons why the Portuguese forest is so vulnerable is the desertification of the country, the sudden, radical change in the demography of the countryside and the sudden abandonment of farming and traditional practices across large areas. In other words, let us not forget that there is another side of the common agricultural policy, which was never designed to address the realities of the Mediterranean. Consequently, we must look increasingly towards mobilising European solidarity in the tasks of rebuilding and managing the forests. The resolution that we have tabled represents a step in this direction and that is the way forward.
We must also set up a temporary committee of inquiry in order to raise our awareness of these realities. I wish to thank the President of the Commission for the way in which he responded in writing to the letter that I sent to him, in which he offered guarantees that the Commission would not fail to help my country and those worst affected. On the other side of the coin, I regret the Council’s absence, which sends out a pitiful message in response to such a large-scale tragedy in Europe."@en1
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