11.12.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 324/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 2152/2003 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 November 2003 concerning monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the Community (Forest Focus) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 175 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (!), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (°), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1)  Forests have an important multifunctional role for society. Apart from their significant role in the develop- ment of rural areas, forests have a major value for nature conservation, play an important role in preserving the environment, are key elements of the carbon cycle and significant carbon sinks and represent a critical control- ling factor of the hydrological cycle. (2)  The condition of forests can be seriously affected by natural factors such as extreme weather conditions, attacks from parasites and diseases or human influences such as climate change, fires and air pollution. Such threats can seriously distort and even destroy forests. Most natural and anthropogenic factors affecting forests can have cross-border effects. ) O] C 20 E, 28.1.2003, p. 67. () O] C 85, 8.4.2003, p. 83. () O] C 128, 29.5.2003, p. 41. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 13 February 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council common position of 13 June 2003 (O] C 233 E, 30.9.2003, p. 1), position of the European Parliament of 21 October 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council decision of 6 November 2003. 3) 0) () ) 0J The Communication from the Commission to the Euro- pean Parliament and the Council on a forestry strategy for the European Union stressed the need to protect the natural environment and the forest heritage, to manage forests sustainably and to support international and pan- European cooperation concerning the protection of forests, making reference to forest monitoring and the promotion of forests as carbon sinks. The Council, in its resolution of 15 December 1998 on a forestry strategy for the European Union (°), called upon the Commission to evaluate and improve continuously the effectiveness of the European monitoring system of forest health and to take into account all the potential impacts on forest ecosystems. It also called upon the Commission to pay special attention to the development of the Community forest fire information system, which enables the effec- tiveness of the protection measures against fires to be better assessed. Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down the sixth Community environment action programme (%) identifies the need to base the drawing-up, implementa- tion and evaluation of environmental policies on a knowledge-based approach and, in particular, the need for monitoring the multiple roles of forests in line with recommendations adopted by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Convention on Biodi- versity and other forums. The Community and the Member States are committed to implementing internationally agreed activities relating to the conservation and protection of forests, in particu- lar, the proposals for actions of the intergovernmental panel and Forum on Forests, the expanded work programme on forest biological diversity of the Conven- tion on Biological Diversity, as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. 5 0] C 56, 26.2.1999, p. 1. L 242,10.9.2002, p. 1.