Activities of Ulrike MÜLLER related to 2019/2157(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward (debate)
Amendments (75)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas forests and other wooded land cover at least 43 % of the EU’s territory, and some Member States have more than half of their territories covered by forests and are heavily invested in forestry; whereas forests in the EU has grown substantially between 1990-2015 as a result of afforestation, reforestation programmes and natural growth;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas forests and other wooded land cover at least 43 % of the EU’s territory, and some Member States have more than half of their territories covered by forests and are heavily invested in forestry; whereas about 60 % of EU forests are privately owned, most of which by small-scale owners with less than 3 ha of forest;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution of the 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal,
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas more than 3 million people in the EU are employed by the EU forest sector, making it an important pillar of rural economies;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas soil quality plays a crucial role in the provision of ecosystem services such as water filtration and storage and hence flood and drought protection, CO2- sequestration, biodiversity and the growth of biomass; whereas the improvement of soil quality, for instance in some regions by converting coniferous forest to permanent deciduous forest, is an economically challenging process that takes decades;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas properly funded high- quality research, innovation, collection of information, maintenance and development of databases, best practise and knowledge sharing are of utmost importance for the future of EU´s multifunctional forests and for the entire forest-based value-chain, in light of the increasing demands being placed upon them and the needs to meet the multiple opportunities and challenges facing the society;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas European forests have a key role to play in flood management: 4.5 per cent of European forests are considered floodplain forests which have a significant role in water retention;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas forests disturbed by fires and logging have seen soil loss as high as 26.6 per cent. This makes soil less fertile and decreases agricultural productivity in surrounding areas. The soil in mature forests stores significantly more carbon than soils from areas that have been clear-cut;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas there are 16 million private forest owners in the EU, who own about 60 % of EU forests; whereas the average size of privately-owned forests is 13 ha, while about two-thirds of private forest owners own less than 3 ha of forest;
Amendment 56 #
Ca. whereas climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in forests are interlinked where aspects must be balanced and synergies between them encouraged especially within Member States Adaptation Strategies and Plans;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas soil quality plays a crucial role in the provision of ecosystem services such as water filtration and storage and hence flood and drought protection, CO2- sequestration, biodiversity and the growth of biomass; whereas the improvement of soil quality, for instance in some regions by converting coniferous forest to permanent deciduous forest, is an economically challenging process that takes decades;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the decision from the Commission to introduce a new forest strategy; stresses the need for the forest strategy to fully observe the principle of subsidiarity and to respect the national competence for forest policies; emphasises, in this regard, the need for a holistic and consistent forest strategy that enhances the multifunctional role of forests and the forest-based sector in the EU and that promotes the far- reaching societal, economic and environmental benefits of forests and hence contributes to the achievement of the UN 2030 SDGs; underlines the urgent need to prevent and manage natural disturbances; highlights that the forest strategy should be consistent with other high level strategies, while it should not be subordinate to any other sectoral strategy;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the actions taken by the Member States and the Commission to meet the objectives of the EU Forest Strategy and the involvement of the Standing Forestry Committee, the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork, the Expert Group on Forest Fires, the Expert Group on Forest-based Industries and Sectorally-related Issues and relevant stakeholders in the multiannual implementation of Forest MAP;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that according to scientific research, sustainably managed forests have a higher CO2 absorption capacity than unmanaged forests; urges, therefore, that the new forest strategy should promote sustainable forest management; highlights the overall climate benefits stemming from forests and the forest-based value chain, namely fostered CO2- sequestration, carbon storage and substitution of fossil-based raw materials and energy; recognises the positive impact of sustainable forest management on European forest biodiversity; notes that forest protection and production do not act in contradiction, but can in fact be complementary to one another;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that the eight plus one priority areas of the strategy have been implemented with relatively few impediments, with the exception of ongoing challenges in the areas of ‘What forests do we have and how are they changing?’ and ‘Fostering coordination and communication’specifically concerning the public perception and information on the forestry sector and ‘Fostering coordination and communication’, specifically concerning forest-related policies;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that under some circumstances there are trade-offs between protecting the climate and protecting biodiversity in the bio-economy sector and particularly in forestry, which plays a central role in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy; expresses its concern that this trade-off has not been sufficiently addressed in recent policy discussions; calls on all stakeholders to develop a coherent approach to bring together biodiversity protection and climate protection in a thriving forest-based sector and bio- economy;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes afforestation and reforestation as suitable tools in enhancing forest cover especially in abandoned lands, close to urban and peri- urban areas as well as in mountainous areas; highlights the importance of protective functions of forests as well as active and sustainable forest management in these areas to enhance health and resilience of the ecosystems; stresses the importance of adapting the species composition to regional and climatic conditions;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. recalls that about 60 % of EU forests are privately owned and that about two-thirds of private forest owners own less than 3 ha of forest; stresses that all measures must duly take this into account and hence must be designed in a way that they are accessible to and can be practically implemented by small-scale forest owners; recalls that the Commission has identified administrative burden and forest ownership structure as limiting factors for the uptake of certain measures1a; _________________ 1a COM(2018) 811 final, p.3
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Concludes that the differences between Member States, including the differences between regions within Member States has been an important factor when considering measures on an EU-level;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Commends the forest-related research and innovation already undertaken, especially under the Horizon 2020 and LIFE+ programmes; applauds those cases where the results contribute to the development of the sustainable bioeconomy, seeking a balance between different aspects of sustainable forest management and underlining multifunctional role of forests;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are multifunctional and characterised by great diversity, including differences in ownership patterns, size, structure, biodiversity, resilience and challenges; points out, in addition, that forests offer society a wide variety of ecosystem services including raw materials, improved air quality, clean water, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches and recreational and cultural benefits;
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises the important role forests can play in substituting fossil-based materials and energies with bio-based products; believes that the new forest strategy should reflect the importance of the role played by European forests and the EU’s circular bio- economy in reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and that measures to this end should be included; stresses that these measures should make use of the full potential of substitution- effects;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that over the past decades EU´s forest resources have been increasing in terms of forest cover and volume, and currently forests and other wooded areas cover at least 43 % of the surface of the EU and; points out that the sector employs at least 500 000 people directly3 and 2.6 million indirectly in the EU4 and that maintenance of this workforce and the sector´s long-term competitiveness require constant efforts to attract skilled and trained workforce to the sector; _________________ 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 155 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Takes note of the progress made on valuing ecosystem services under the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) initiative; stresses, however, that there currently is no adequate remuneration for the provision of ecosystem services such as the sequestration of CO2, fostering biodiversity or soil improvement and that foresters who focus on converting their forests accordingly currently might be managing their forests at a loss-making despite the provision of substantial ecosystem services; calls on the Commission and Member States to explore options to incentivize and remunerate climate-, biodiversity- and other ecosystem services appropriately in order to allow for an economically viable forest conversion;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that around 60% of the EU´s forests are privately owned; supports all measures improving the exchange of information and best practises as regards the implementation of sustainable forest management;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates that forests and the forest-based sector significantly contribute to the development of local, circular bioeconomies in the EU; stresses that in 2010 the bioeconomy represented a market estimated to be worth over EUR 2 trillion, providing 20 million jobs and accounting for 9 % of total employment in the EU; notes that every euro invested in bioeconomy research and innovation under Horizon 2020 will generate about EUR 10 in added value;
Amendment 179 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that research and technology have come a long way since the forest strategy was introduced in 2013; stresses the importance of encouraging further research in forestry and bio-based products, particularly regarding the substitution of fossil-based raw materials and energies, and believes that EU funds for research should be further directed towards this; stresses that more research and funding would make a positive contribution to climate change mitigation, sustainable economic growth and employment, especially in rural areas;
Amendment 189 #
4a. Calls for the continued funding for research in soils and their role in forests climate change resilience and adaption, biodiversity protection and enhancement as well as the provision of other ecosystem services;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Highlights the suitability and viability of the two-step approach to verify sustainability of forest biomass, as agreed in the recast of Renewable Energy Directive; notes that this should be achieved by continuing the halted development of non-end use specific sustainability criteria by the Standing Forestry Committee and the Commission;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Expresses deep concerns that in parts of the union lacking implementation of existing EU-legislation and suspicion of corruption has resulted in illegal logging and unsustainable forestry activities; calls on the Commission and Member States to combat corruption and to fully implement existing legislation;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Recognises the role of forests as regards provision of recreational values and forest-related activities such as harvesting of non-wood forest products e.g. mushrooms and soft fruits; takes note on the opportunities in enhancing biomass removals as forest fire prevention via grazing but also notes that wildlife grazing have a negative impact on seedlings and therefore notes on the needs for sustainable management of grazing fauna;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
The future – the crucial role played by the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy and the European Green Deal in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Amendment 230 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the role of forests in increasing resilience towards adverse impacts from climate change; Points out the need for concrete and effective actions in climate adaptation strategies and plans, incorporating the synergies between mitigation and adaptation;
Amendment 237 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Expresses deep concern that in parts of the Union there is a lack of implementation of existing forestry related EU-legislation; calls on the Commission and Member States to fully implement existing legislation and strengthening the implementation of sustainable and active forest management;
Amendment 238 #
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 multifunctional, healthy and sustainably managed forests applying a long-term perspective and viable industries; encourages, in addition, actions to increase forest cover; encourages the Commission to explore different options both within current measures or new ones in order to encourage incentivising forest owners to apply, within the concept of SFM, management methods ensuring long term climate benefits;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that under some circumstances there are trade-offs between protecting the climate and protecting biodiversity in the bio-economy sector and particularly in forestry, which plays a central role in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy; expresses its concern that this trade-off has not been sufficiently addressed in recent policy discussions; calls on all stakeholders to develop a coherent approach to bring together biodiversity protection and climate protection in a thriving forest-based sector and bio- economy;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Recalls that about 60% of EU forests are privately owned and that about two-thirds of private forest owners own less than 3 ha of forest; stresses that all measures must duly take this into account and hence must be designed in a way that are accessible to and can be practically implemented by small-scale forest owners; recalls that the Commission has identified administrative burden and forest ownership structure as limiting factors for the uptake of certain measures1a; _________________ 1a COM(2018) 811 final, p.3
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Expresses its deep concern over the additional stresses on forest and their biodiversity caused by climate change as laid out in the IPCC special report on land of 8 August 2019; considers that additional measures should be in place to drastically minimise the risks of increased heat waves, forest fires, droughts, and floods in particular in southern Europe;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Stresses that acknowledging and safeguarding property rights is key to achieve a long-term commitment to sustainable forest management;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Reiterates the importance of providing adequate financing to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to coordinate pan-European assistance with the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in case of cross border forest fires;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
Paragraph 12 e (new)
12e. Believes that European disaster resilience and early warning tools should be reinforced. Welcomes the monitoring work delivered by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and calls for greater collaboration with National and regional authorities of EU Member States for forest fire prevention, preparedness and response activities;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that an ambitious, independent and self-standing EU Forest Strategy is needed for the post-2020 period which is not subordinate to any other sectoral strategy; calls for a new EU Forest Strategy that 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, including the people directly or indirectly work and live in the forest and the forestry 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 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that the EU Forest Strategy should act as a bridge between national forest policies and EU objectives relating to forests, recognising both the need to respect national competence and, the need to contribute to wider EU objectives and to ensure long term stability and predictability for sustainable forest management, the forestry sector and the whole bioeconomy;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the European Commission to analyse how to improve the coordination of Member States and their exchange of information with the view to enhance the contribution of forests in reaching the carbon neutrality objective, while taking also into consideration their economic and social dimension;
Amendment 297 #
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, including the Biodiversity Strategy, to be consistent with the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy, particularly with a view to ensuring that SFM has a positive impact on society; and contributes to the achievement of the UN SDGs;
Amendment 298 #
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, including ensuring long term and stable benefit for the climate and the environment;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights the need to take into consideration the links between the forest- based sector and other sectors as well as the importance of digitalisation and investing in research and innovation; stresses the crucial role of wood-based materials in substituting fossil-based alternatives in industries such as the construction industry, the textile industry, the chemical industry and the packaging industry; encourages European Commission to explore different market- based mechanisms to incentivise a substitution from fossil to renewable raw materials such as wood in constructions, which offer climate benefits;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights the need to take into consideration the links between the forest- based sector and other sectors as well as the importance of digitalisation and investing in research and innovation; stresses the crucial role of wood-based materials in substituting fossil-based alternatives in industries such as the construction industry, the textile industry, the chemical industry and the packaging industry and the need to fully take into account the climate and environmental benefits of this material substitution;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Reiterates the need of fostering environmental, economic and social aspects of forests and forest management in a balanced manner while strengthening the overall climate benefits stemming from forests and the forest-based value chain, namely fostered CO2- sequestration, carbon storage and substitution of fossil-based raw materials and energy; highlights the urgent need to strengthen research efforts as regards especially substitution effects;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the importance of developing and ensure a market based bioeconomy in the EU incentivising innovations and development of new bio based products with an effective supply chain making effective use of the biomass materials;
Amendment 325 #
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 and intensely, 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, by strengthening the implementation of sustainable and active forest management, through research and innovation and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties so they can be restored; highlighting the need for concrete and effective actions in climate adaptation strategies and plans, incorporating the synergies between mitigation and adaptation;
Amendment 334 #
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 and by offering better support mechanisms for forest owners to apply prevention measures as well as restoration of affected areas and properties so they can be restored;
Amendment 335 #
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 betterdevelop risk management tools to prepare for and prevent such events by making forests more resilient, for example through research and innovation and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties so they can be restored;
Amendment 354 #
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 in which there is a possibility to provide the society with multiple ecosystem services, including raw materials; notes, however, that sufficient financial resources are needed to manage such areas;
Amendment 357 #
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; stresses that economic losses caused by protection measures should be fairly compensated;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. EHighlights that a growing number of EU policies address forests from different directions; encourages the completion of the ongoing process to develop a non-end-use- driven sustainability approach with the close involvement of the Standing Forestry Committee and the Member States, building on the two-step approach of the recast Renewable Energy Directive; believes that the two-step approach could be used in other policies aiming to improvensure the sustainability of forestry-biomass and the cross-sectorial coherence of EU policies;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages the completion of the ongoing process to develop a non-end-use- driven sustainability approach with the close involvement of the Standing Forestry Committee and the Member States, building on the two-step approach of the recast Renewable Energy Directive; believes that the two-step approach could be used in other policies aiming to improve theat ensuring sustainability of forestry biomass material; highlights the importance and encourages the use of market developed tools, such as forest certification systems in place, as suitable means of proof to verify sustainability of forestry resources;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP and forestry measures in implementensuring good and competitive market conditions withing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for otherunion for a successful development of a sustainable circular bioeconomy; highlights the importance of fully implementing the EU Forest Strategy; notes the supporting role that easily accessible, well-coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms can play, taking into account the long-term nature of forestry;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Takes note of the progress made on valuing ecosystem services under the MAES initiative; stresses, however, that there currently is no adequate remuneration for the provision of ecosystem services such as the sequestration of CO2, fostering biodiversity or soil improvement and that foresters who focus on converting their forests accordingly currently might be managing their forests at a loss-making despite the provision of substantial ecosystem services; calls on the Commission and Member States to explore options to incentivize and remunerate climate-, biodiversity- and other ecosystem services appropriately in order to allow for an economically viable forest conversion;
Amendment 400 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Highlights the importance of strengthened cooperation between Member States in order to enhance the benefits of the new forest strategy;
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Stresses the need for improved communication regarding the importance of the sustainable management of forest areas, together with the possibility of extending, implementing and coordinating information campaigns on the multifunctional nature of forests and the many economic, social and environmental benefits provided by forest management at all relevant levels of the EU;
Amendment 423 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls for the continued funding for research in soils and their role in forests climate change resilience and adaption, biodiversity protection and enhancement as well as the provision of other ecosystem services;
Amendment 424 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation that a strong capitalisation of innovation along the value chain would help to support the forest-based sector’s competitiveness1a; welcomes in this regard the EIB’s commitment to allocate 50 % of its funding to climate related projects and underlines the opportunities for the forest-based sector, which plays an important role in the substitution of fossil- based materials and energies; _________________ 1a COM(2018) 811 final, p.7
Amendment 426 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the fact that global deforestation and forest degradation are serious problems; points out that policy initiatives should be developed to tackle issues outside the EU, with a focus on the tropics, while taking into account the different degree of ambition as regards to environmental policy in different tropical countries, and the drivers of unsustainable practices in forests from outside the sector; encourages the Commission and Member States of the European Union to foster cooperation with third countries through technical assistance, exchange of information and good practices to consolidate higher standards of sustainability in in preservation, conservation and sustainable use of forest as well as in sectors linked to forests and their value chains, promoting circular bioeconomy; 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 wood into the EU market;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the fact that global deforestation and forest degradation are serious problems; 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; 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 wood into the EU market; highlights the need for the EUFS to comprehensively include EU’s external objectives and action on promoting SFM worldwide, both bilaterally and through multilateral forest-related processes;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the fact that global deforestation and forest degradation are serious problems; 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; 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 wood into the EU market; calls for concrete requirements avoiding arbitrary interpretation of the EUTR due diligence system;
Amendment 438 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the need to promote deforestation-free supply chains which could be done through the introduction of a certification system, the reinforcement of the cooperation with third countries and the inclusion of specific provisions on sustainable forest management in the trade agreements between the EU and its world partners;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Notes that digitalisation and sustainable technologies play a key role in providing added value in the further development of the forest-based sector; calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage knowledge and technology transfer and sharing best practises on e.g. sustainable and active forest management;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU- wide Forest Information System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General; stresses the importance of providing real- time, science-based, and balanced information on European forest resources and aiming at forecasting the impact of natural disturbances and their consequences with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to continue the development an EU- wide Forest Information System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General and under the framework of the EU Forest Strategy; stresses the importance of science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 468 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission’s Standing Forestry Committee to giveUnderlines the Member States acompetence for and central role in the preparation and implementation of the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy and calls on the Commission’s Standing Forestry Committee to support Member States in this task; stresses the importance of the parallel involvement of relevant stakeholders in the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork; urges the Commission to involve Parliament in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy on an annual basis;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission’s Standing Forestry Committee to give the Member States a central role in the preparation and implementation of the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy; stresses the importance of the parallel involvement of relevant stakeholders in the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork; urges the Commission to involve Parliament in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy and at least on an annual basis;