By Tanja Brkić (Nova24tv)
MP Dr Anže Logar addressed to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia an initiative to take immediate action to restore the Karst on both sides of the border in the form of interstate cooperation between Slovenia and Italy. The approach to obtaining funds from the EU should be approached together, and the restoration should include afforestation, the restoration of all destroyed infrastructure, measures to fight fires, and the urgent issue of ensuring a sufficient amount of water for this area.
Member of the SDS Dr Anže Logar addressed a written parliamentary initiative to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia regarding the creation of a joint interstate mechanism for the reconstruction of areas affected by the fire. In his parliamentary letter, Dr Logar, in the light of the fact that extinguishing the fire in the Karst, which affected both Slovenia and Italy, required, as he wrote, “superhuman efforts of firefighters and residents in the affected areas, and due to the lack of equipment for aerial firefighting, solidarity was once again expressed the help of friendly countries”, addressed to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia an initiative for a strategic approach to the creation of a joint inter-state inter-regional mechanism for the reconstruction of the affected areas.
“I suggest that the Government of the Republic of Slovenia immediately use both forms of interstate cooperation as a framework for the joint approach of Slovenia and Italy for the immediate restoration of the Karst on both sides of the border. This will make it easier to secure more European funds and additionally confirm the solidarity and cooperation of the two countries. The reconstruction should include afforestation, the restoration of all destroyed infrastructure, measures to fight fires and the urgent issue of ensuring a sufficient amount of water for this area”, wrote Logar.
The EU has certain resources for such cases
He explained that, based on the intergovernmental agreement, Slovenia has established an instrument of the coordination committee of the two governments, the joint committee of Friuli-Venezia Giulia – Slovenia, and also that in the EU’s common agricultural policy, almost a quarter of the funds are intended specifically for the prevention of forest fires and accidents. Due to the increase in forest fires, the European Union established the European information system for forest fires for this purpose.
“Within the Civil Security for Society strand of the Horizon Europe programme, the European Commission implements complementary measures to support policies for reducing the risk of disasters (including forest fires) and for increasing capacities in risk management and resilience and their management”, explained Dr Logar and suggested that for the most successful approach to obtaining funds for the restoration of the affected Karst, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia should immediately contact the Government of the Republic of Italy, with which they should jointly approach the restoration of the affected area on both sides of the border, and that the Government of the Republic of Slovenia should also immediately inform the local authorities about the activities the community and the National Assembly.