52002AE0031

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on:

- the "Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution", and

- the "Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on protection of the Community's forests against fire"

(2002/C 80/10)

On 20 December 2001 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 175 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposals.

The Economic and Social Committee decided to appoint Mr Kallio as rapporteur-general for its opinion.

At its 387th plenary session, held on 16 and 17 January 2002 (meeting of 16 January), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by a unanimous vote.

1. General comments

1.1. Given that in previous opinions (1997(1) and 1999(2)) the Economic and Social Committee recommended that the validity of the regulations in question be prolonged, it now also supports the request to extend for a further year these two important forestry sector measures.

1.2. The ESC refers again in this connection to its 1999 opinion with respect to the substance of the measures. It does not wish at this stage to present further comments on the substance of the measures, but will await the Commission's new revision proposals, which were supposed to be presented at the end of the year 2001.

1.3. The Committee refers in this regard to the EU forestry strategy presented by the Commission in 1998(3), which calls for clarifications, e.g. on forest fire monitoring systems.

2. Conclusion

The ESC stresses emphatically that the revision proposals for both regulations should be introduced without delay. Realising sustainable development in EU forestry legislation requires that the regulations in question be extended and revised without delay to reflect the current situation. Here the Committee refers in particular to point 2.4 of its 1999 opinion and some of the basic requirements mentioned there.

Brussels, 16 January 2002.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Göke Frerichs

(1) OJ C 66, 3.3.1997.

(2) OJ C 51, 23.2.2000.

(3) COM(98) 649, 3.11.1998.