Means of combating forest dieback - EU support for maintaining forest health and vitality

All EU Member States face economic and ecological losses due to forest damages. Thus, combating forest dieback, as for example caused by the effects of climate change, is a contribution to human safety and well-being and the sustainable development of Europe. At the EU level several efficient and well established policy instruments are developed and implemented, which contribute to the prevention, mitigation and control of forest dieback. The most important EU instruments in this context are the Rural Development Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, replaced by the Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005) and the Forest Focus Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003, expired in 2006). The article reviews main EU policy and financial instruments and evaluates the feasibility of combating various causes of forest dieback in Europe.