WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3434/98 by María ESTEVAN BOLEA to the Commission. Fires in the far east of Russia
21. 5. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 142/131 The cost of this abortive exercise was roughly ECU 1,2 million (2,4 billion lires). The competition was cancelled because ‘examination papers had been leaked, at least in one language’. Does the Commission intend to identify those responsible to ensure that they, rather than the citizens of Europe, meet the cost of organising another examination? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1998) Yes. On 28 October 1998 the Commission lodged a complaint with the public prosecutor in Brussels so that everyone involved in the affair, both the perpetrators and the beneficiaries, could be identified and brought to justice. (1999/C 142/166) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3434/98 by María Estevan Bolea (PPE) to the Commission (24 November 1998) Subject: Fires in the far east of Russia The far eastern taiga of Russia (Sakhalin island and the Khabarovsk region) has been suffering the effects of a large number of fires since the spring. More than 1 800 000 hectares of forest has already been destroyed by fire as a result of a dry and warm summer, strong winds and the lack of any means of fighting the fires. In addition to this incalculable loss, unique animal species are under threat; they include the Ussuri tiger, 80 % of whose habitat has been devastated. At the present time, these fires are still burning out of control, with the consequent loss of biological diversity and adverse influence on the global climate. Is the Commission aware of this situation? Will it be contributing any kind of financial and/or material aid to alleviate the effects of this ecological disaster? Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1998) The Commission is aware of the problem of forestry fires in the Russian Federation, not only in the region of Sakhalin and Khabarosk, but also in other parts of the territory. One to three million hectares are damaged or lost annually through fire. The Commission, in the framework of the 1997 Tacis action programme, designed a project specifically addressing this question which will start in the coming weeks. It is called ‘Improvement in forest fire response systems’ and its main objective is to improve the fire-fighting response of the Russian Federal forestry fire service, both in terms of time and quality. Three regional centers will benefit directly or indirectly from the project (Pushkino, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarosk). A detailed description of this project is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat general of the Parliament