EU helps forest protection

JAKARTA (JP): The European Union (EU) is committed to protecting the world's remaining tropical forests, including in Indonesia, the director of an EU-funded forestry project said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a recent workshop in Surabaya, East Java, John Keating, the director of the Forest Liaison Bureau, said the EU supports the government's efforts to protect and preserve the country's forests.

The EU, through the European Commission (EC), is currently funding six development aid projects in the forestry sector here. The projects offer support in issues ranging from conservation to production forest management, forest inventory and the management and control of forest fires, he said.

"All the projects are incorporated in the EC-Indonesia Forest Program (ECIFP), valued at approximately ECU140 million (US$127 million), of which the EC is financing ECU105 million by way of grant assistance," said Keating. (29)