Press Release: Environment: European Commission proposes new scheme to protect Europe’s forests

A new scheme to monitor and safeguard Europe's forests has been proposed by the European Commission and the European Parliament. The scheme, called 'Forest Focus', aims to offer better protection for forests and to develop awareness of the importance of forests to our environment. The programme would initially run for 6 years, from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2008, with a budget of €13 million per year.