Strasbourg, 14/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament approves the European Commission's proposal to pursue and merge into a single programme, "Forest Focus", the two regulations that have hitherto covered the protection of forests against atmospheric pollution and fire. MEPs nonetheless voted, on Thursday (first reading, codecision), for a number of amendments to the proposed text. The report by Spanish national Encarnacion Redondo Jimenez (EPP) approves keeping an annual fund for financing the new system. MEPs insist on the fact that it is necessary to continue financing actions to prevent fire, unlike what was proposed by the Commission. Furthermore, they consider it necessary to strengthen the role of the Member States, considering that the Community forest surveillance system must be founded on close collaboration between the European Commission and the Member States, and that the role of the Member States must not be subordinate to that of the Commission.