The reduced rates of taxation are applicable in geographical areas fulfilling one of the following criteria: (a) most severe climate conditions within the Italian territory, that is communes falling into zone F as defined in the Presidential Decree No 412 of 1993 (3); (b) severe climate conditions combined with difficulties with fuel procurement, that is communes falling into zone E as defined in the Presidential Decree No 412 of 1993; and (c) geographical isolation combined with difficult and costly fuel procurement, that is Sardinia and small islands.

The definition of average, colder and warmer climate conditions follows the method as proposed in the draft for Commission Delegated Regulation on energy labelling of boilers (5), where ‘average climate conditions’, ‘colder climate conditions’ and ‘warmer climate conditions’ mean the temperature conditions characteristic for the cities of Strasbourg, Helsinki and Athens, respectively.

A conservative reduction (10) to 10 % for warm climate and 40 % for average climate is assumed in Tables 1 and 2 above.

30. Expresses its concern that in recent years Europe has suffered from fires destroying more than 400 000 hectares of forest per year, caused by the progressive abandonment of the countryside and its traditional activities, inadequate forest maintenance, the existence of large expanses of forest consisting of a single tree species, the planting of unsuitable tree varieties, the absence of a proper prevention policy and insufficiently severe penalties where fires are started deliberately, together with the inadequate implementation of laws prohibiting illegal building and ensuring reafforestation; notes that with fires occurring on this scale, especially in southern Europe, forests are unable to regenerate, and that this has serious ecolog ...[+++]ical consequences and economic and social effects; also notes that the unusual weather conditions experienced in 2007 exacerbated the phenomenon of mega-fires, something which is likely to recur more often in years to come; further notes that global warming will increase over the next 30 years at least, and that this could primarily affect specific regions particularly vulnerable to climate change;