Europe Plans to Protect its Northern Forests
11/19/99
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Title: EUROPE Plans to Protect Northern Forests
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: November 19, 1999
HELSINKI, Finland, November 19, 1999 (ENS) - Protection of the "last
untouched forests in Europe," is one of the primary objectives of a
new environmental action programme for northern Europe unveiled by
the European Commission this week.
The program will involve greater coordination between European Union
(EU) and non-EU countries and will concentrate on natural resource
management, water and air pollution, and nuclear safety.
The plan is part of a broader thrust towards cooperation in several
priority sectors between the northern countries of the EU and Russia,
Norway, Iceland, Poland, and the Baltic states -- Estonia, Lithuania,
and Latvia.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Helsinki agreed on a "northern
dimension" action plan for the area, which they will submit for
approval by heads of government next month. The concept has been
strongly promoted by Finland during its presidency of the EU which
ends December 31.
The environmental component of the plan responds to what the
Commission calls "major causes for concern" including continuing soil
acidification from air pollution known as acid rain originating
outside the region.
The Commission said that the program would combat these dangers by
continuing to promote the integration of environmental consideration
into policy making in economic sectors such as forestry, transport,
and energy.
It would also build institutional and professional capacity to deal
with the problems, and increase public participation and information
provision.
The Commission said an environmental review panel would be set up to
assess regional programmes "to obtain more efficient policy in key
environmental sectors." Among the concrete actions it proposes are
investments in major pollution hotspots, a regional programme to
combat climate change, investment programs to improve nuclear safety
and a "reinforcement" of Helcom, the Baltic Sea protection
commission.