Forests: protection against fire, extension to 2002 (amend. Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92)

PURPOSE: To extend Community Regulation on the protection of the Community's forests against fire by one year. CONTENT: The Community Regulation 2158/92/EEC on the protection of forests against fire will expire on 31 December 2001. Under the terms of the Regulation the Commission is expected to draw up drafts for a new Regulation. The Commission is currently working on revisions to the existing Regulation but preparations for the revision are not yet complete and thus the end of year deadline will not be met. The Commission is therefore seeking transitional measure to extend the Regulation for a further year thus enabling the scheme to continue until 2002 by which time the draft Regulation should be completed. This proposal seeks to extend the existing Regulation by one year. The budgetary allocation has been amended accordingly and now reads as EUR 58.75 million for the period 1997-2002.�