WRITTEN QUESTION No. 864/98 by Anita POLLACK to the Commission. Convention on biodiversity COP4, Bratislava, May 1998
C 354/32 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 (98/C 354/64) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Convention on biodiversity COP4, Bratislava, May 1998 In the light of the Kyoto Climate Change Agreement, will the Commission make every effort at COP4 of the CBD in Bratislava to stress the importance of forest conservation for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (12 May 1998) Article 4. 2 of the United Nations framework convention on climate change requires Annex 1 parties to protect and enhance greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs in general. In order to achieve their greenhouse gases emissions limitation or reduction targets, existing sink categories are limited under Article 3. 3 of the Kyoto Protocol to the effect of direct human induced activities with respect to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation. In this context, the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol may indeed have important implications for biodiversity. The recently adopted communication to the Council and to the Parliament on a Community biodiversity strategy (1) defines the policy of the Commission on this subject. It sets as Community objectives, inter alia, the following: áto ensure that, while promoting a net increase in forest extension as a means of maximising their carbon sink function to combat climate change, afforestation is conducted in a manner that does not negatively affect ecologically interesting or noteworthy sites and ecosystemsí áto promote sustainable management of forests which respects the ecological characteristics of the areas affected and to promote the restoration and regeneration of areas that have suffered deforestation. Native species and local provenances should be preferred where appropriate. Wherever introduced species are used to replace local ecosystems, sufficient action should be taken at the same time to conserve native flora and faunaí áto promote international research into the impact of possible climate change on forests ecosystems, the possible adaptation of forests ecosystems to climate change and the mitigation of adverse effects of climate change by forests ecosystems as detailed in Resolution No 4 of the Helsinki Ministerial Conference on the protection of Forests in Europeí. The Commission is pursuing these objectives in every relevant forum, including in the context of the forthcoming fourth conference of the parties to the Convention on biological diversity in Bratislava. (1) COM(98) 42 final. (98/C 354/65) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0876/98 by Hono·rio Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Minimizing the environmental impact of the building of access roads to the Freixo Bridge With reference to my Question E-3780/97 (1) and other ones on the same subject, the Commission will remember that the conclusions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee concerning the building of two roads providing access to the Freixo Bridge › Carvalhos road include the assertion that the contracting authority is obliged to acquire a strip of land adjacent to the IP1 and the access roads and incorporate it in the municipal nature reserve of Vila Nova de Gaia