35 Amendments of Maria NOICHL related to 2022/2016(INI)
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the TFEU makes no reference to a common EU forest policy; whereas Article 4 TFEU provides for a shared competence on environmental policy; whereas due to the specific diversity of the EU’s forests with regard to bio-geography, structure, size, biodiversity and ownership patterns, where environmental policy touches upon forests, it is necessary to duly apply the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality in the development and implementation of the new EU forest strategy (the strategy) and relevant EU legislation; stresses the need for further European-level coordination of national forest policies in order to take into account the important role of forests in achieving European climate objectives and to be able to calculate potential emission reductions and forest use limits more precisely at European level;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas energy, climate and environment policy and policy relating to other areas that have an impact on European forestry and forests are a matter lying within the competence of the EU; stresses that those policies have to be coordinated in line with the European Forest Strategy;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas 40 % of Europe’s forests are publicly owned; whereas public authorities have an obligation to sustainably manage publicly owned forests in an exemplary fashion, in particular with regard to environmental, economic and social aspects;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas most recent data gathered under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive indicates that only 49 % of forests habitats have aare in good conservation status; whereas focusing solely ondition, the status of 29.6 % of habitats is unknown and 21.1 % are in poor condition; whereas focusing solely on what is in many instances inadequate aggregated data might be insufficient to identify and address key information on the most urgent issues and it is therefore necessary to consult more specific indicators on trends in condition and pressures and help ensure that missing data is available in future; whereas these indicators do not support an overall negative assessment of the state of the EU’s forests, but show both positive and negative trends that require nuanced responses;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas less than a third of Europe’s forests have trees of significantly different ages; whereas 30 % of European forests have only one tree species, 51 % only two to three tree species and only 5 % six or more tree species1a: _________________ 1a See also: FUTURE BRIEF: European Forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, November 2021, Issue 25
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas forest habitats are especially affected by the removal of dead and dying trees, as well as by land use changes, such as conversion to monocultures;1a _________________ 1a See also:FUTURE BRIEF: European Forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, EC, November 2021
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas within sustainable forest management there are as yet no defined thresholds or ranges as benchmarks for determining what the condition of forests should be, and nor are there enough defined criteria relating to ecosystem health, biodiversity and climate change;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas new transparent indicators and thresholds could demonstrate the sustainability of the sector and clearly flag up its importance in terms of environmental, economic and social values;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the new EU forest strategy and its ambition to increase the balanced contribution of multifunctional forests to the targets of the Green Deal and of achieving a circular economy and climate neutrality by 2050;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that the maintenance and protection of healthy and resilient forests is a fundamental goal of, and hence sustainable forest management, is a fundamental goal of the forest strategy for 2030, all actors in forestry and the forest-based value chain, as well a key priority for people in the EU;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that the main objective of the European forest strategy is the sustainable use of forests and their resources, in order to optimise the total utility of all of the functions of forests; notes that this includes in particular the conservation of forests as a significant source of life for humans, animals and plants and for the protection of soils, water, the climate, biodiversity and human health, the use of timber as a versatile, renewable raw material and energy source for achieving the greatest possible degree of self-sufficiency in the EU, the promotion of the forest-based sector as an economic driving force that creates many jobs in rural areas;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Stresses the importance of natural regeneration for the future of forests, as it results in undisturbed root development, improved vitality and stability of trees and low planting costs;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned by the increasing pressure on the EU’s forests and their habitats and stresses the urgent need to increase forest and ecosystem resilience, while overall the pressure on forests must be reduced; stresses that climate change will have an even greater negative impact on European forests in the coming years and that this will particularly affect areas with mono-specific and equal-aged forests; stresses that the growth of European forests has decreased in recent years; underlines, in this connection, the special role of stable mixed forests including native species of trees suited to local conditions, as well as the essential role that mixed forests play in ecosystems and their contribution to biodiversity;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Member States to ensure that their legislation provides forests with the best possible protection against pollution and damage; points in particular, in this connection, to protection against contamination, such as by lead munitions or pesticides, extreme soil compression because of inappropriate use of machinery, and protection against damaging browsing by game or damage caused by too large a cloven-hoofed game population;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are characterised by diverse natural conditions, ownership patterns, forms of governance, challenges and opportunities, and that they have been formed by centuries of human intervention and management and therefore may constitute a cultural asset;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the complexity of assessing the state of forests, as well as the uneven availability and quality of data and therefore stresses the need for continuous policy and scientific dialogue at all levels to improve data collection and harmonisation, as well as the need for financial and human resources, in particular so that both resource-efficient uses and forest use limits can be identified at an early stage;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recognises the key role of forests in protecting the climate andmitigating climate change and in protecting biodiversity; underlines that the multi-functional role of forests comprises multiple socioeconomic functions, such as the provision of raw materials, which leads to jobs and economic growth in rural areas, the provision of clean water and air, protection against natural hazards and recreational value; stresses that the implementation of the strategy must ensure a balanced provision of all services and maintain competitiveness and innovation; underlines that the successful provision of services requires sustainable active management;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that forests contribute to climate change mitigation via carbon sequestration, carbon storage and the substitution of wood and wood products for fossil fuels and derived products; notes that the strategy has a particular focus on storage in the construction sector and believes its implementation should support a broader use of different options forwood-based substitutiones, in line with the goals of the bioeconomy strategy;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that wood is the only natural, significant renewable resource that can replace a number of materials which are very energy-intensive in some respects, such as concrete in the construction industry, plastics in the packaging industry and many others, and will be in increasing demand in the future;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that for wood-based products to contribute optimally to climate change mitigation and a circular economy requires that they be used in the most efficient and sustainable way; believstresses that the cascading principle8is a good guideline for efficient use, but must not use a static approach and therefore mustimber removals must be restricted by sustainability limits and that wood, which is a limited resource, should be adjusted regularly to reflect innovative uses; stresses that a well-functioning, un- distorted market incentivises the efficient use of wood-based resources; _________________ 8 As outlined in the Commission’s ‘Guidance on cascading usein the best possible way in accordance with the cascading principle; stresses that, in a market serving the public interest, it must be ensured that wood-based resources are used as efficiently as possible; underlines the fact that only by re- establishing forests ofr biomass with selected good practice examples on woody biomass’.y using wood in a resource-efficient way can sink effects be achieved through substitute effects and through sustained CO2 savings;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that 2.1 million people work in the forest-based sector, while the extended forest-based value chain supports 4 million jobs in the green economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the effects of a shift in the balance of forest functions on the overall employment situation; underscores the fact that the more simplified and intensive forest management is, the lower the employment rate will be;2a _________________ 2a See also data sets from EUSTAFOR
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note ofWelcomes the Commission’s announcement on developing additional voluntary indicators and threshold values for sustainable forest management; underlines the need to align the Commission’s work with that of FOREST EUROPE and the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as to engage with the Member States to ensure that indicators and value ranges are fit-for-purpose for their application at the local level under specific bio-geographic conditions;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its call for the protection of primary and old-growth forests and stresses the need to create a definition for what constitutes old-growth forests; welcomes the ongoing work of the Working Group on Forests and Nature and underlines the need to consider a diverse set of attributes and ensure flexibility to account for specific conditions in bio- geographic regions and forest types; underlines the importance of providing financial incentives for the establishment of certain old-age forests in the future;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes that forested areas vary a great deal across the Member States; points in this connection to the particularly valuable role of stable mixed forests including native species of trees suited to the local conditions and the essential part that mixed forests play in ecosystems and the contribution they make to biodiversity; calls on the Member States to support forest owners in their efforts to conserve, establish and provide financial incentives for native mixed forests typical of the area;
Amendment 358 #
16b. Stresses that European forests are subject to an altered water balance and increased average temperatures as a result of climate change; calls in this connection on the Commission to develop a climate adaptation strategy for European forests in order to safeguard the future health and stability of European forests;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Points out that the increasing demand for wood as a raw material, especially wood for use as an energy source, poses major challenges in a context of political crises, too, such as the war in Ukraine; calls on the Commission in this connection to identify at an early stage, through continuous monitoring of forest resources, both potential uses and limits on use;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Stresses that maximising sustainable self-sufficiency in wood as a raw material is in the interest of Europe's timber industry; points out that the promotion of short-rotation coppices, for example, can represent a key component in the context of the energy transition in order to reduce the pressure on forests;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission to take action, when deploying the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, to ensure that support is provided in particular for initiatives to reduce biodiversity loss in forests, promote native species of trees and improve forest management and that monies are used in line with policy goals;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the important contribution of existing certification schemes to the further uptake of sustainable forest management; highlights the shortcomings of many certification schemes and their lack of transparency for consumers; highlights the fact that the key existing certification schemes are unable to reflect the requirements of the legislation in force;3a takes note of the Commission’s announcement on developing a ‘closer-to-nature’ certification scheme; encourages the Commission to cooperate with existing certification schemes and believes that to create added value, the certification must offer foresters a price premium for the provision of ecosystem services; _________________ 3a See also: European Commission, Directorate- General for Environment, Study on certification and verification schemes in the forest sector and for wood- based products : report, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/126030
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the implementation of the strategy must focus on enabling small- hold forest owners and managers to deliver on the multiple forest functions and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that support programmes, payment for ecosystem services schemes and research funding are attractive and easily accessible;
Amendment 484 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Takes note of the idea to introduce strategic plans for forests under the framework on forest observation, reporting and data collection; further notes that several Member States already have national strategies for forests in place, but that they cannot be processed and assessed in a uniform manner by the Commission;
Amendment 494 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Believes that due to the multi- functional contribution of forests to high- level EU goals and the different administrative levels and stakeholder groups involved, the cornerstones of the strategy’s implementation must be close cooperation and the exchange of best practices with national and regional experts, stakeholders, forest managers, scientists and civil society; underlines that governance must take EU and Member State engagement in international processes into account;
Amendment 509 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes the extensive overlap among policies and legislation that impact forests and the forestry sector and stresses the importance of aligning them in so far as that is possible; points in this connection to friction between the expectations of the timber industry, and its demand for wood, and expectations that forests will act as carbon sinks and be habitats for flora and fauna;
Amendment 516 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Expresses its concern about reports of illegal logging and calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase their efforts to effectively implement relevant national and EU legislation; stresses that, as a rule, illegal logging is practised by EU citizens with very low incomes; underscores the fact that there would be less illegal logging if living conditions in the EU were as evenly matched as possible;