The European Deputy appreciates the mobilization of many municipalities that have committed to fighting this pest, notably the city of Nice, but the lack of national coordination is currently hindering all the initiatives undertaken.
Additionally, the issue of private property owners remains unresolved, and often they find themselves at a loss when faced with the damage caused by the red palm weevil.
In the letter he addressed to Minister Stéphane LE FOLL, Gaston FRANCO expressed his concern about the massive proliferation of the red palm weevil on the Mediterranean coast.
Since the beginning of his European mandate, the Deputy from the Riviera has undertaken numerous actions to combat the scourge of the red palm weevil by creating a working group in the Parliament consisting of European deputies from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, and of course, France.
“We have succeeded in having the priority nature of eradicating the weevil recognized throughout the Mediterranean coast and the European dimension of the problem. In December 2010, the European Commission adopted a decision of co-financing 7 million euros for national programs to combat plant pests in 6 member states, notably France,” stated Gaston FRANCO.
“I believe that the fight against this pest must immediately become a national interest cause. It is up to the State to organize coordination with other concerned countries in Europe to obtain the necessary financial support at a time when the future budgets for 2014-2020 are being negotiated with difficulty. All actions must be organized in close liaison with Parliamentarians, regional and departmental elected officials, concerned Mayors, associations, researchers, and established laboratories. I advocate the establishment of a permanent steering committee so that a national action plan is scheduled,” concluded the European Deputy.
