WRITTEN QUESTION E-2154/99 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Regionalisation of the Italian State Corps of Foresters.
18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/145 In its commentary, the budgetary authority, at the initiative of the Parliament, requested that 60 % of credits for non-nuclear energy should be allocated to renewable energies, of which 75 % should be allocated to renewable demonstration projects. The Commission agrees that there is an urgent need to encourage the demonstration of solutions which favour the use of innovative renewable energy resources and would like to satisfy the commentary as far as practicable. The first call for proposals for the Energy programme (energy component of the energy, environment and sustainable development specific RDT programme) duly gave considerable prominence to demonstration projects and renewable energies. In selecting the final list of projects for which an immediate start to negotiations is recommended, the Commission has taken the budget commentary into account. The Commission has done its utmost to satisfy the commentary and a large number of demonstration projects in the renewables sector has been selected. The final decision on 1999 projects has not yet been made but the Commission proposal is very close to the budget commentary. (1) OJ C 173, 7. 6. 1997. (2000/C 203 E/184) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2154/99 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (24 November 1999) Subject: Regionalisation of the Italian State Corps of Foresters In Italy, conservation of woodlands and natural resources is the responsibility of a police force, the State Corps of Foresters. Law 59/97, however, stipulates that members of the corps are to be transferred to the service of the regions if they are not needed in order to carry out the tasks still incumbent on the State. Although it has been estimated that very substantial manpower is required to enable the State to perform its role, about 70 % of the personnel concerned have nevertheless been transferred to the service of the regions. importance of environmental protection and the body of Given the international as well as national expertise built up by the Corps of Foresters, which is the only means of ensuring compliance with Community environmental regulations and which is in danger of losing its cohesion, would the Com- mission state: 1. whether it considers that the transfer of responsibilities to the regions will greatly weaken the efficiency of the State Corps of Foresters and severely damage environmental protection; 2. whether it has drawn up any documents on the subject; 3. its general views on the matter; 4. what forms of organisation are laid down for similar forces in other Member States? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1999) The organisation of the national administration is strictly a matter for the Member State. The Commission considers that the regionalisation of certain tasks does not necessarily involve any reduction in their effectiveness, but that it requires in certain cases a strengthening of coordination between the regions and the Member State. The Commission is not in a position to give an exact description of the organisation of similar services in other Member States. Several situations can arise, from complete decentralisation as, for example, in the management of to responsibility at provincial, departmental, regional or national level. in some Member States, is at municipality level, fire prevention which, forest