Activities of Gilles LEBRETON related to 2019/2157(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward (debate)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (22)
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union makes no reference to a common EU forest policy, and responsibility for forests lies with the Member States, but; whereas, the EU has a long history of contributing, through its policies, to sustainable forest management (SFM) and the Member States’ decisions on forestsrefore, the European institutions have no competence to adopt any legally binding rules whatsoever for the forest- based sector;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the promotion of SFM in the EU, as part of the EU ForestMember Strategy and the rural development measures implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP),s' SFM has had a positive impact on the biodiversity of forests in the EU and has enhanced the climate benefits offered by the forest-based sector; notes, however, that there is still a need to strengthen SFM in a balanced manner in order to ensure that forests are better able to adapt to changing climate conditions and to reduce the risks and impacts of natural disturbances;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that forests and other wooded areas cover at least 43 % of the surface of the EU and that the sector employs at least 500 000 people directly3 and 2.6 million indirectly in the EU4; notes the growth in the number of hectares of forests in Europe; _________________ 3 Eurostat database on forestry, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/forestry/d ata/database 4European Parliament fact sheet of May 2019 on the European Union and forests.
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises that long-term public and private investments in SFM ensure that forests remain not only economically viable, but can also contribute to achieving the manysome of the goals of the EU, including the successful implementation of the European Green Deal and the transition to a circular bioeconomy;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need to reconsider ambitious goals of the European Green Deal for 2030 (especially to increase the EU’s GHG emission reduction target to 50-55 %) and thoroughly assess its economic impacts on the competitiveness of forestry sector and foresters in the EU, in the context of current global pandemic of COVID-19;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the facPoints out that although forests in the EU are managed according to the commonly agreed principle of SFM and forest cover in the EU has been increasing over the past decades, a different approach to SFM has been developed in the context of the recently agreed regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment and amending Regulation 2019/2088 on sustainability- related disclosures in the financial services sector;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that the participation of farmers and hunters in the good management of wooded areas, in particular as regards maintaining the balance of animal and plant biodiversity, is critical;
Amendment 217 #
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the Commission’s 2020 Work Programme and especially the acknowledgment of the new EU Forest Strategy’s contribution to the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; stresses, in this regard, that in future, forests should not be considered as the only type of CO2 sink as that would give other sectors less of an incentive to minimise their emissions; highlights, in addition, the need to promote adaptation of forest to climate change and the importance of transitioning from a fossil-based society;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises the crucial role of forests, the forest-based sector and the bioeconomy in achieving the goals of the European Green Deal; stresses that achieving the EU’s environmental and climate goals will never be possible without national, multifunctional, healthy and sustainably managed forests and viable industries; encourages, in addition, actions to maintain or increase forest cover;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that an ambitious, independent and self-standing EU Fnational forest Sstrategy isies are needed for the post- 2020 period which isare not subordinate to any other sectoral strategy; calls for a new EU Forest Strategy thatthese strategies to builds on the holistic approach to SFM, taking into account all of the economic, social and environmental aspects of the forest-based value chain; stresses that a coordinated and coherent approach to forests, the forest-based sector and the multiple services they provide needs to be developed, given the growing number of national and EU policies directly or indirectly affecting forests and their management in the EU;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Regrets that such a coordinated and consistent approach is not also applied to the EU's trade policy, which permits the mass import of agricultural products that are directly responsible for deforestation in third countries, particularly protein crops and livestock products;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that the EU Forest Strategy should act as a bridge solely between national forest policies and EU objectives relating to forests, recognising both the need to respect the Member States' national competence and the need to contribute to wider EU objectives;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of evidence-based decision-making with regard to EU policies relating to forests, the forest-based sector and its value-chain; calls for all forest-related aspects of European Green Deal measures to be consistent with the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy, particularly with a view to ensuring that SFM has a positive impact on society;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of evidence-based decision-making with regard to EU policiesmultilateral cooperation relating to forests, the forest-based sector and its value-chain, without it leading to the systematic collection of data at EU level; calls for all forest-related aspects of European Green Deal measures to be consistent with the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy, particularly with a view to ensuring that SFM has a positive impact on society;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that due to climate change, natural disturbances such as droughts, floods, storms, pest infestations, erosion and fires will occur more frequently, causing damage to forests in the EU; emphasises, in this context, the need to better prevent such events by making forests more resilient, for example through research and innovation, the exchange of information, cooperation on means to combat natural disasters and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties so they can be restored;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recognises the role of biodiversity in ensuring that forest ecosystems remain healthy and resilient; highlights the importance of the Natura 2000 sites; notes, however, that sufficient financial resources are needed to manage such areas; highlights the importance of pragmatic integration of nature conservation into sustainable forest management without enlargement of protected areas and additional administrative and financial burden, supports the establishment of networks created on the basis of Member States driven initiatives to this end.
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP and forestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well-coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms; emphasises the need for reduction of administrative burden in the EU forestry measures and in state aid generally, for example by allowing block exemptions in order to react promptly to challenges for forests;
Amendment 427 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the fact that global deforestation and forest degradation are serious problems; stresses that this deforestation is being promoted by the EU’s own choices and that its trade policy should urgently take this issue into account; points out that policy initiatives should be developed to tackle issues outside the EU, with a focus on the tropics and the drivers of unsustainable practices in forests from outside the sector, notably through the use of geographical labelling, sustainability certification and bans on access to the EU market for products that do not comply with current standards; stresses the need to foster the implementation of the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) action plan in order to prevent the entry of illegally sourced woodor non-sustainably sourced wood, which constitutes unfair competition for the European forestry sector, into the EU market;
Amendment 452 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU-widmaintain the Fforest Iinformation Ssystem for Europes placed under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-Generalcompetent national administrations; stresses the importance of science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy, calls for such data to be shared with the stakeholders concerned such as hunting federations or chambers of agriculture in order to ensure effective coordination of the actions implemented;