Ladies and gentlemen, in line with the strategic priorities of the insecurity and terrorism prevention programme, Mali has launched an emergency programme – which we have called PIRIN – to reduce insecurity and combat terrorism in the north of Mali during the period 2010 to 2012.

37. Insists on an urgent follow up of the Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts and a more ambitious approach than commented in CWP 2011; in view of the interconnections between drought, forest fires and desertification, calls on the Commission to present a proposal for a directive similar to the directive on floods, to promote the adoption of an EU policy on water scarcity, drought and adaptation to climate change; calls ...[+++]on the Commission to present and to carry out, together with the Member States, legislative proposals and initiatives in the area of forest protection and fire protection; calls on the Commission to present a directive on Water Efficiency of Buildings in connection with the Blue Print to safeguard Europe’s water resources;

63. Insists on an urgent follow up of the Communication on Water Scarcity and Droughts and a more ambitious approach than commented in CWP 2011; in view of the interconnections between drought, forest fires and desertification, calls on the Commission to present a proposal for a directive similar to the directive on floods, to promote the adoption of an EU policy on water scarcity, drought and adaptation to climate change; calls ...[+++]on the Commission to present and to carry out, together with the Member States, legislative proposals and initiatives in the area of forest protection and fire protection; calls on the Commission to present a directive on Water Efficiency of Buildings in connection with the Blue Print to safeguard Europe’s water resources (announced for 2012);

10. Stresses its concern at the huge increase in illicit opium production in Afghanistan, which is fuelling the power and role of warlords in the provinces concerned and dominating the country's economy; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Afghan Government, to elaborate and implement emergency programmes to combat illicit drug production and trafficking, including by supporting farmers through alternative livelihood programmes;

4. Welcomes the Commission's Communication on risk and crisis management in agriculture (COM(2005)0074), and encourages the Commission and Council to take urgent action in response to it so as to establish, as swiftly as possible, an effective Community protection system to safeguard European farmers against risks and crises such as those resulting from the current drought in Portugal; believes it is necessary to introduce a public form of agricultural insurance, financed from Community funds, so as to guarantee a minimum income for farmers in cases of public disasters such as drought and fires;

Other important commitments are contained in international instruments such as the 1992 UN Convention on biological diversity, the 1994 UN Convention to combat desertification in countries seriously affected by drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, and the 1987 Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer as well as in the Union strategy for sustainable development, including the sixth environment action programme.