91998E3215

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3215/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 October 1998)

Subject: Data on fires in Greece

Pursuant to Regulation 308/97 on protection of the Community's forests against fire, the Member States forward data on the number, extent and duration of fires, etc. to the Commission's responsible departments.

This data is considered especially useful for monitoring and evaluating preventive and protective measures for forests in the Member States, as also indicated in the extremely interesting report entitled "Community system of information on forest fires 1985-87", published by the Commission's department responsible for forests.

With a view to enhancing the reliability of the data supplied by the Member States, can the Commission confirm that a uniform method is used to record the data concerning the number, extent and duration of the fires and the time-lapse between initial alarm and intervention etc.

Do the Member States notify the Commission's departments of any change in the manner of recording events?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 1998)

The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for his interest in the report on the Community system of information on forest fires 1985-1987(1).

The reliability of the data supplied by the Member States is guaranteed by Commission Regulation (EC) 804/94 of 11 April 1994 laying down certain detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) 2158/92 as regards forest-fire information systems(2), which details the set of information that Member States must transmit to the Commission each year under the Community forest-fire information system.

Any changes made by the Member States to their national data collection systems must comply with the conditions laid down in this Regulation.

(1) Not yet published.

(2) OJ L 93, 12.4.1994.