Activities of Michal WIEZIK related to 2019/2157(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward (debate)
Amendments (130)
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas forests are circular ecosystems founded on full recycling of matter and nutrients within, whereas any form of active management is based on exploitation of resources from this ecosystem, which inevitably and negatively affects its functioning, structure and biodiversity;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the tradition of forest management in Europe developed and operated in relatively cold climate, whereas current challenges are new challenges for forest managers and cannot be tackled without knowledge of forest ecology, including understanding of large-scale processes of adaptation of forests to natural disturbances;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— having regard to the Mid-Term Review of the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the responsibilities of the EU States under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the concept of close-to- nature forestry allows for sustainable use of forest, including for selective logging of valuable species for specialized use, and at the same time keeps better balance between provisioning and other ecosystem services;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the Court Judgement C-164/97 and C-165/97 1a _________________ 1acourt judgement- Joined Cases C- 164/97 and C-165/97; available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:6199 7CJ0164&rid=1
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas more than 3 million people in the EU are employed by the EU forest sector and these jobs are dependent on resilient forest ecosystems in the long- term;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU’s internal and international commitments to, for example, the European Green Deal, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and the creation of a zero-emission society, will be impossible to achieve without the climate benefits and other ecosystem services provided by forests and the forest- based sector;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the global demand of authentic wild nature is growing, and public support for strict protection of forest ecosystems has increased significantly;
Amendment 27 #
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 forests;forest protection inherently forms part of the environmental action for which Community competence is founded on Article 191 of the Treaty1a; _________________ 1aCourt judgement for Joined cases C- 164/97 and C-165/97
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas illegal logging is ongoing also in the EU5a _________________ 5aexamples Romania, Sweden, Poland https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/p df/Briefing%20note%20May- June%202019_Final.pdf and https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/p df/Briefing_Note_April_- _May_2018_Public_version.pdf
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas the current regime of bioenergy subsidies goes against the cascading use principle enshrined in the current EU forest strategy by creating a competitive advantage for bioenergy over material uses despite this use being further down in the cascade1a; _________________ 1abioenergy in accordance with this principle is down the line just above disposal. Wood is used in the following order of priorities: wood-based products, extending their service life, re-use, recycling, bio-energy and disposal
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas approximately 40% of EU's forests are publicly owned, Member States are obliged to set an example for sustainable forest management in their publicly owned forests for the public good;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Europe’s forests are of immense value in terms of climate mitigation, since they absorb and store 10 % of EU carbon emissions; whereas the short-term effect of logged forest on climate is negative 1a whatever the use of logged wood, and potential future re- growth of logged site is of no use in the critical time we have left to act; _________________ 1a G. Englund,; S.-O. Holm;B.-G. Jonsson, D. van der Spoel, 2019: The climate benefit of reduced forest harvesting is enormous
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas only 26 % of forest species and 15 % of the forest habitats are in favourable conservation status;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Europe’s forests are of immense value in terms of climate mitigation, since they absorb and store 10 % of EU carbon emissions; whereas they store about 2.5 times more C in soils than in tree biomass 1a , highlights therefore the importance of complex forest ecosystems for the terrestrial carbon cycling in Europe; _________________ 1aBrunoDe Vos et al., Benchmark values for forest soil carbon stocks in Europe: Results from a large scale forest soil survey, Geoderma, Volumes 251–252, August 2015,Pages 33-46
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas European forests absorb and store approximately 10% of EU carbon emissions, contributing thus to climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas illegal logging is ongoing also in the EU3a _________________ 3aexamples Romania, Sweden, Poland https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/p df/Briefing%20note%20May- June%202019_Final.pdf and https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/p df/Briefing_Note_April_- _May_2018_Public_version.pdf
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas forests are circular ecosystem founded on full recycling of matter and nutrients within, whereas any form of active management is based on exploitation of resources from this ecosystem, which inevitably and negatively affects its functioning, structure and biodiversity;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas in order to preserve the full scale of forest biodiversity and functionality, together with the need for mitigation of climate change, a proportion of forest areas to be set aside any form of active human intervention is crucially needed;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas forests and the entire forest-based value chain are fundamental to the further development of the circular bioeconomy as they provide jobs, ensure economic welfare in rural and urban areas, deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation services, offer health-related benefits, and protect the biodiversity and prospects of mountainous and rural areas and combat desertification;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas high extinction rates of specialized forest species often observed in managed forests contradict the idea of sustainability of such management and calls into question the compatibility of active management and forest conservation for cases where full scale of forest biodiversity, and in particular the most threatened species, are the subject of conservation goals;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas forests and the entire forest-based value chain are fundamental to the further development of the circular bioeconomy as they provide jobs, ensure economic welfare in rural and urban areas, deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation services, offer health-related benefits, and protect the biodiversity and prospects of mountainous and rural areas;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the continuing decline in biodiversity has had negative consequences for the delivery of many ecosystem services over the last decades, whereas these declines have occurred in part because of the intensive agriculture and forestry practices, whereas the continuing decline in regulating services can have detrimental consequences for quality of life4a _________________ 4aIPBES(2018): Summary for policymakers of the regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. M. Fischer, M. Rounsevell, A. Torre-Marin Rando, A. Mader, A. Church,M. Elbakidze, V. Elias, T. Hahn. P.A. Harrison, J. Hauck, B. Martín- López, I.Ring, C. Sandström, I. Sousa Pinto, P. Visconti, N.E. Zimmermann and M.Christie (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. available at: https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/ipbes_6 _15_add.4_eca_english.pdf
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas intact ecosystems have greater capability to overcome environmental stressors, including changes to climate, than degraded ones as they have inherent properties that enable them to maximize their adaptive capacity, whereas they sustain large-scale ecological processes, such as natural disturbance regimes, which maintain disturbance adapted species and evolutionary lineages that are uniquely adapted to survive major seasonal temperature changes and landscape-level disturbances over time, such as large fires and insect infestations2a; _________________ 2aJames E. Watson et al, 2018: The exceptional value of intact forest ecosystems. In Nature Ecology& Evolution
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the provisions of the LULUCF Regulation3a recognize that a carbon pool of deadwood in the forest is analogous to the long-lived harvested wood products as its carbon does not undergo instantaneous oxidisation, whereas deadwood constitutes crucial microhabitats on which number of species, including protected species, are dependent; _________________ 3aRegulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas forests are part of EU natural capital, on which the EU has competence to act 1a ; _________________ 1aTFEU Art 191 , such legal interpretation confirmed by court judgement of Joined Cases C-164/97 and C-165/97
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas in order to preserve the full scale of forest biodiversity and functionality, together with the need for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, a proportion of forest areas to be set aside any form of active human intervention is crucially needed;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas almost 23% of European forests are to be found in Natura 2000 sites, with the share in some Member States exceeding 50%, and almost half of the natural habitats in Natura 2000 areas are forests;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas active management imposes adverse effect on important attributes of forest ecosystems, mainly quantity and quality of deadwood, and early and late seral stages of forest;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
Cf. whereas subsidies to bioenergy lead to worsening of the ratio of use of wood between material vs energy use, and at the same time to artificial increase in the supply of biomass1a, thus lowering the capacity of forests to sequester carbon; _________________ 1aas in JRC report (2018) ''Indeed, targets for renewable energy set by the EU have resulted in a surge in the consumption of woody biomass.'' estimates for energy use of wood: 42% (2005), 43% (2010), 48% currently, while energy uses likely underreported
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Recital C g (new)
Recital C g (new)
Cg. whereas subsidies for various renewable energy sources help kickstart the sector, whereas solar and eolic energy sector and technologies can sustain themselves without subsidies after initial scaling up, whereas this is not true for bioenergy and this sector runs only thanks to subsidies;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
Ch. whereas new climate change adaptation and mitigation options arise, among them proforestation1a; _________________ 1aproforestation - growing existing forests intact to their ecological potential, as in William R. Moomaw, 2019: Intact Forests in the United States: Proforestation Mitigates Climate Change and Serves the Greatest Good. In Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas according to the latest estimations, only 26% of forest species and 15% of the forest habitats were found to be in favourable conservation status1a; _________________ 1a https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodive rsity/forests/forest-dynamics-in-europe- and
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas it is clear that old growth forests, mixed stand forests and agroforestry offer climate, biodiversity and resilience benefits that exceed those of plantation forestry;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the demand of authentic wild nature globally is growing, and public support for strict protection of forest ecosystems has increased significantly;
Amendment 79 #
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 subsidiarityrecognize both competences of EU member states and the European Union in the area of protection of forests; emphasises, in this regard, the need for a holistic and consistent forest sStrategy 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; underlines the urgent need to prevent and managunderstand and manage accordingly the natural disturbances; highlights that the forest strategy should not be subordinate to any other sectoral strategybe built on an EU Biodiversity Strategy as laid down in the European Green Deal Communication;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas agroforestry, defined as land use systems in which trees are grown in combination with agriculture on the same land unit, is a suite of land management systems, which boost overall productivity, generate more biomass, maintain and restore soils and provide a number of valuable ecosystem services;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas new climate change adaptation and mitigation options arise, among them proforestation5a _________________ 5aproforestation - growing existing forests intact to their ecological potential, as in William R. Moomaw, 2019: Intact Forests in the United States: Proforestation Mitigates Climate Change and Serves the Greatest Good. In Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the decision from the Commission to introduce a new forest strategy for forests; stresses the need for the forest strategy to fully observe the principle of subsidiarityrecognise EU competences in forest protection; 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 EUprotection of forests, their multifunctional role, as well as the resilience of the forest-based sector in the EU, based on the cascading use of wood, and that promotes the far- reaching societal, economic and environmental benefits of forests; underlines the urgent need to prevent and manage natural disturbances;the further intensification of forest management: highlights that the forest strategy should not be subordinate to any other sectoral strategythe Biodiversity Strategy, as proposed by the European Green Deal;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
Cf. whereas the provisions of the LULUCF Regulation6a accept that carbon pool of deadwood in the forest is analogous to the long-lived harvested wood products as its carbon does not undergo instantaneous oxidisation, whereas deadwood constitutes crucial microhabitats on which number of species, including protected species, are dependent; _________________ 6a Regulation (EU) 2018/841 OF THE EUROPEANPARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 30 May2018
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C g (new)
Recital C g (new)
Cg. whereas the proposed climate law considers increased ambition without improving and correcting rules guiding the EU energy union and climate action;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines the urgent need to honour the pledge of the Commission to zero tolerance to non-compliance with environmental legislation, stresses that number of infringement cases currently open against the Member states1a address irreplaceable values of European forest ecosystems and urges the Commission to swiftly engage and act in these; _________________ 1a e.g. Case 2018/4076 against Slovakia, Case 2020/2033 against Romania
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
Ch. whereas the short-term effect of logged forest on climate is negative13a, whereas potential future re-growth of logged site is of no immediate and short- term use in the critical time we have left to act and as such should be disregarded as an argument in the climate and forest policy up to 2050; _________________ 13aG. Englund,; S.-O. Holm;B.-G. Jonsson, D. van der Spoel, 2019: The climate benefit of reduced forest harvesting is enormous
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
Ch. whereas the carbon molecules of CO2 in the atmosphere do not differ based on their origin;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Urges the Commission to prioritize effective enforcement of the Nature legislation as part of the future Strategies, including the use of its prerogative to ask for a decision ordering interim measures and compel compliance through imposition of sanctions and penalty payments when there is a risk of irreparable damage to invaluable and irreplaceable natural values;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that according to scientific research, sustainably managed forests6a there is a reduction in forest carbon stocks as a result of increased wood harve a higher CO2 absorption capacity than unmanaged forestssting, and the long periods required (decades to centuries) before the initial increase in emissions is reabsorbed.; urges, therefore, that the new forest strategy should promote sustainable forest management; recognises the positive impact of sustainable forest management, in particular non-intervention management, on European forest biodiversity; notes that forest protection and production do notcan act in contradiction, but canould in fact be complementary to one another;atible with one another and have positive result also for climate when principles of nature-based solutions are adopted7a; _________________ 6aEuropean Academies Science Advisory Council, February 2019: Forest bioenergy, carbon capture and storage, and carbon dioxide removal: an update 7aEEA, December 2019: The European environment - state and outlook 2020
Amendment 112 #
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 area of biodiversity, where the reports show no improvement so far, and in the areas of ‘What forests do we have and how are they changing?’ and ‘Fostering coordination and communication’;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the fact that a definition of SFM was agreed as part of the pan- European FOREST EUROPE process; notes that the definition has been incorporated into national legislation and voluntary systems, such as forest certifications, in place in the Member Statehighlights that as a standalone mechanism the Forest Europe process does not have any specific implementation and enforcement mechanisms;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the promotion of SFM in the EU, as part of the EU Forest Strategy and the rural development measures implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), hasmight hadve 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, there is no adequate indicator currently applied that could measure the contribution of the CAP, notes 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, including by allowing forests to exhibit their natural adaptation mechanisms;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that according to research4a old-growth forests and forest grew old continue to accumulate carbon, contrary to the view that they are carbon neutral or even sources of CO2; _________________ 4a S.Luyssaert et al., 2008: Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks. In Nature
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that while the maintenance of biodiversity is mentioned in several policy documents, the actual quantified rate of forest biodiversity loss cannot be evaluated based on the data collected for the Pan-European Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management7a _________________ 7aForest Europe, 2015: Goals for European Forests, available at: https://foresteurope.org/wp- content/uploads/2016/11/MID_TERM_Ev aluatG2020T_2015.pdf
Amendment 131 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Reiterates the fact that conservation of high-carbon ecosystems, including forests, represents a response option with immediate impact on climate change, unlike afforestation, reforestation and restoration which take more time to deliver8a, calls for policy actions in the EU to be guided by this principle; _________________ 8aIPCC, 2019: Climate Change and Land Report-Summary for Policymakers
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines the crucial importance of forest habitats and their favourable status for implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Stresses therefore particular importance of the Carpathian region and notes that the EU accession to the Carpathian convention would be of relevance to provide support to the region which holds irreplaceable natural values in continental Europe;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Highlights significant unused carbon sequestration potential of European forests;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Stresses that the continuing decline in biodiversity has had negative consequences for the delivery of many ecosystem services over the last decades, whereas these declines have occurred in part because of the intensive agriculture and forestry practices, whereas the continuing decline in regulating services can have detrimental consequences for quality of life 12a; _________________ 12aIPBES(2018): Summary for policymakers of the regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and EcosystemServices. M. Fischer, M. Rounsevell, A. Torre-Marin Rando, A. Mader, A. Church,M. Elbakidze, V. Elias, T. Hahn. P.A. Harrison, J. Hauck, B. Martín-López, I. Ring,C. Sandström, I. Sousa Pinto, P. Visconti, N.E. Zimmermann and M. Christie(eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. available at: https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/ipbes_6 _15_add.4_eca_english.pdf
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Calls for Member States to ensure that forests above 10 hectares have forest management plans comprising carbon storage and biodiversity considerations and where applicable comply with Natura 2000 objectives;
Amendment 139 #
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, absorbing and storing around 10% of EU carbon emissions thereby significantly contributing to climate change mitigation efforts, clean water, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches;
Amendment 140 #
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 supporting ecosystem services, raw materials, improved air quality, clean waterdrinking water provision and groundwater recharge, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches, cultural ecosystem services and they foster biodiversity;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises, however, that although there are examples of sustainable forest management practices, the major trend is increasing intensity of forestry that leads to biodiversity decline9a _________________ 9aIPBES(2018): Summary for policymakers of the regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. M. Fischer, M. Rounsevell, A. Torre-Marin Rando, A. Mader, A. Church,M. Elbakidze, V. Elias, T. Hahn. P.A. Harrison, J. Hauck, B. Martín- López, I.Ring, C. Sandström, I. Sousa Pinto, P. Visconti, N.E. Zimmermann and M.Christie (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. available at: https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/ipbes_6 _15_add.4_eca_english.pdf
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Notes with concern that at EU level, reported data indicate that energy accounts for 48% of total use of woody biomass1a, reiterates in this respect that significant financial resources are allocated to support schemes for early energy recovery from biomass; _________________ 1aCamia A., Robert N., Jonsson R., Pilli R., García-Condado S., López-Lozano R., van der Velde M., Ronzon T., Gurría P., M’Barek R., Tamosiunas S., Fiore G., Araujo R., Hoepffner N., Marelli L., Giuntoli J., 2018: Biomass production, supply, uses and flows in the European Union. First results from an integrated assessment
Amendment 153 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises the important role forests can play in substituting to some extent fossil- based materials 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;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Recalls with concern that increase in harvest is proposed in number of draft national forestry accounting plans, implementing the climate legislation, worries that this is not in line with up-to-date science;
Amendment 157 #
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 ; stresses that this workforce is dependent on a well- preserved and sustainably managed forest ecosystem in the long term; _________________ 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 158 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the letter of more than 700 scientists calling for a scientifically-sound revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, in particular excluding certain types of woody biomass from counting towards the target and from the eligibility to receive support;
Amendment 162 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Amendment 168 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises that long-term investments in SFMand adequate funding and compensation mechanisms can help ensure that forests´ remain not only economically viablesilience and adaptive capacity and help the forest sector to stay economically viable and environmentally sound, but also contribute to achieving the many goals of the EU, including the successful implementation of the European Green Deal and the transition to a circular bioeconomy;
Amendment 171 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Stresses particular importance of the Carpathian region and notes that EU accession to Carpathian convention would be of relevance to provide support to the region which holds irreplaceable natural values in continental Europe;
Amendment 172 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Amendment 173 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
3f. Highlights the value and the potential of newly established and traditional extensive agroforestry systems for agricultural production, diversification, including for the purpose of bioeconomy, carbon sequestration, prevention of desertification and potential to decrease pressure on forest ecosystems; regrets that the rules of the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy have systematically led to their degradation and in many cases have hampered their restoration, regeneration and rejuvenation; notes with concern the current large-scale die-off of iconic Mediterranean high-nature value agroforestry system and urgently calls for change of the rules in order to facilitate regeneration and restoration of existing agroforestry systems, and establishment of new ones;
Amendment 174 #
3g. Requires that the Commission develop a common and sufficiently detailed definition of close-to-nature forestry, building on the ongoing experiences of integrating biodiversity considerations into forest management;
Amendment 176 #
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 and and that science is now unequivocal that parts of the bio-based economy were and are a false solution, in particular when it comes to bioenergy; stresses the importance of encouraging further research in forestry and bio-based products and incorporating scientific findings into policy to turn bioeconomy into a no regret and success story, 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 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges the crucial climate benefits of forests and the forest-based sector;, highlights the need to increase CO2 sequestration in forests, carbon storage in wood-based products and the substitution of fossil-based materials and energysitu, including in deadwood and forest soil, and in long- lived harvested wood products and the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy provided that payback period of these sources is relevant for the challenges we face, and generates lower emissions per unit of energy than fossil sources;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges the crucial climate benefits of forests and the forest-based sector; highlights the need to increase CO2 sequestration in forests and agroforests, and their soils, carbon storage in wood- based products and the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy;
Amendment 191 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to create economic and policy instruments that will allow more forest to grow to their ecological potential and absorb carbon dioxide;
Amendment 195 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Proposes updating rules of reporting and accounting for LULUCF in order to incentivise choice of non- intervention in the accounting category of managed forest land in areas of old- growth forests, e.g. by excluding respective removals from the limitations posed by the Regulation;
Amendment 198 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Considers that strictly protected areas in non- intervention management regime should be part of the EU Forest Strategy and of local development strategies based on low impact natural tourism and provisioning of non- productive ecosystem services;
Amendment 199 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Calls for the Commission to uphold the principle of do no harm laid down in the Green Deal Communication and to revise all relevant legislation to reflect the up-to-date science in relation to forest ecosystems, different carbon pools and their true value for the climate change mitigation and adaptation, including the crucial role of their biodiversity for this adaptation;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the fact 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, the quality of forests is worsening in many areas; welcomes therefore that 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 201 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Calls for an amendment of the Renewable Energy Directive in order to limit subsidy regime to biomass waste and residues;
Amendment 202 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4f. Reiterates that woody biomass should be used in accordance with cascading use principle, giving priority to material use, re-use and recycling, in line with circular economy principles, over other uses;
Amendment 209 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses its concern over the health condition and resilience of forests in many parts of Europe; highlights the need to strengthen and make full use of EU mechanisms to tackle the transboundary pressures, including those man-induced, on forests from the spread of invasive alien species, pests, and diseases, excessive or illegal logging.
Amendment 216 #
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 biodiversity-related and goals of the Paris Agreement
Amendment 222 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls the Commission to restart the negotiations for an international legally binding forest convention, that would contribute to the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests and to provide for their multiple and complementary functions and uses, including action towards reforestation, afforestation and forest conservation, while taking into account social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations, and recognizing the vital role of all types of forests in maintaining the ecological processes and balance, and supporting the identity, culture and the rights of indigenous people, their communities and other communities and forest dwellers;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to create economic and political instruments that will allow more forest to grow to their ecological potential and absorb carbon dioxide;
Amendment 232 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for strict protection of EU's primary and old-growth forests as part of the EU Forest Strategy;
Amendment 232 #
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 emissionsnd restoration action should therefore target also e.g. grasslands, wetlands and peatlands in particular; highlights, in addition, the importance of transitioning from a fossil-based to a truly low-carbon society;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Reiterates the call of the European Parliament10a for an EU-wide legally binding target to restore degraded habitats by 2030, including natural forests; _________________ 10aEuropean Parliament resolution of 16 January 2020 on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2019/2824(RSP))
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Reiterates the call of the European Parliament11a for consistent forest-related policies, which combat biodiversity loss and climate-change impacts, and which lead to an increase of the EU’s natural sinks while protecting, conserving and enhancing biodiversity; _________________ 11aEuropean Parliament resolution of 16 January 2020 on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2019/2824(RSP))
Amendment 241 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Reiterates the call of the European Parliament1a for an EU-wide legally binding target to restore degraded habitats by 2030, including natural forests; _________________ 1aEuropean Parliament resolution of 16 January 2020 on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2019/2824(RSP))
Amendment 242 #
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 effectively protected forests and multifunctional, healthy and sustainably managed forests and viable industries; encourages, in addition, actions to increase forest cover; restore and improve the status of forest ecosystems and where appropriate, to increase forest cover to strengthen resilience and support local development;
Amendment 248 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Amendment 269 #
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 EU Forest Strategy building up on the Biodiversity Strategy is needed for the post-2020 period; 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 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 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Considers that strictly protected areas in non- intervention management regime should be part of the EU Forest Strategy and of local development strategies based on low impact natural tourism and provisioning of non- productive ecosystem services;
Amendment 281 #
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 and agroforest policies and EU objectives relating to forests and agroforests, recognising both the need to respect national competence and the need to contribute to wider EU objectives, while coherently addressing the specificities of both private forests and publicly owned ones;
Amendment 285 #
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 and competences relating to forests, recognising both the need to respect national competence and the need to contribute to wider EU objectives;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Member States to improve national legislation to put in place, or strengthen where necessary, protection against illegal logging and loss of biodiversity;
Amendment 295 #
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 societyconsistency of ambition of the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy with the Green Deal, building on Biodiversity Strategy, particularly with a view to ensuring that SFM has a positive impact on society with measurable targets and indicators, including on strict protection of forest area targeting complexity, connectivity and representativeness of forest ecosystems;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the European Commission to invest supplementary funds - additional to the budget already allocated to the CAP scheme - in an EU- wide action on reforestation, afforestation and to implement specific subsidies for forestry management and environmental protection, to contribute to the Green Deal 2050 climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 332 #
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 by encouraging forest grazing and the conversion of at-risk forests to agroforests, through more research and innovation and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties sto they can beprotect and restored them;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that due to climate change and as a result of man-made changes, 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 makincreasing forests more’ resilientce, for example through research and innovation and by offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties so they can be restored;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Given the worrying increased risk of forest fires in Europe, calls on the European Commission to include support for silvopasture (forest grazing) within the agroforestry measure and to encourage Member States to implement it in the next Rural Development programme;
Amendment 353 #
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 properly manage such areas; reiterates that strict protection may be needed in some particular cases;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages the completion of the ongoingstepping back from the 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 the sustainability of forestryand build sustainability criteria on the type of stock used;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP, forestry and agroforestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry and agroforestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well- coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms;
Amendment 390 #
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;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Takes note of the challenge for both farmers and administrators in identifying and monitoring the preservation of landscape features, in particular those aiming to protect scarce woody vegetation; calls on the European Commission to reduce and simplify the administrative requirements, in order to boost woody vegetation promotion and preservation linked to landscape features policies associated with Pillar I and Pillar II payments;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Takes note of the low uptake of the numerous measures within the 2014-2020 Rural Development Regulations designed to support the deliberate integration of woody vegetation with farming; therefore calls on the European Commission to bundle various agroforestry promotion initiatives in the post 2020 Common Agricultural Policy Reform into a unique “agroforestry” measure, which will promote the use of woody component in agrarian and forestry systems;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Notes that no specific funds are allocated to improve the management and restoration of already existing agroforestry lands in a clear way; calls on the European Commission to integrate maintenance payments for agroforestry similar to those of afforested/reforested lands;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Calls on the European Commission to support the promotion of the recognition of the high quality products and ecosystem services that agroforestry delivers, by appropriate market promotion and agroforestry identification, or labelling;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21e. Acknowledges the lack of knowledge about agroforestry among many farmers; calls, therefore, on the European Commission to promote EU- wide specialised training programmes, in order to make farmers and female farmers aware of the benefits and the practice of integrating woody vegetation with agriculture at local, regional and global scales;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 f (new)
Paragraph 21 f (new)
21f. Recognizes the significant capacity of agroforestry to boost overall biomass productivity and therefore encourages the European Commission to treat it as a productive measure; underlines that such mixed ecosystems produce more biomass and absorb more atmospheric carbon and therefore encourages promotion of agroforestry systems;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 g (new)
Paragraph 21 g (new)
21g. Calls on the European Commission to implement a common maximum EU-wide annual growth quota (excluding the protected areas) for wood harvesting in forests, based on different national criteria;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 h (new)
Paragraph 21 h (new)
21h. Calls on the European Commission to consider the implementation of EU-wide binding graduated forestry techniques from non- intervention in strictly protected areas, to limited interventions such as ecological and hygienic clearing in buffer zones; regrets the unsustainable practices and illegal logging taking place in such areas in some Member States; further calls on the Member States to consider stringent penalties for flagrant violations and a more efficient and rapid implementation of such penalties;
Amendment 432 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the fact that global deforestation, illegal logging and forest degradation, including in Europe, are serious problems; points out that policy initiatives and enforcement mechanisms should be developed and improved to tackle issues outsidein the EU, with a focus on the tropics and the drivers of unsustainable practices in forests from outside the sectordrivers of biodiversity loss in forests with impact on the resilience and adaptation potential, and on illegal logging; 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 449 #
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 science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy; notes that national forest inventories represent a comprehensive monitoring tool for assessing forestry stocks and take into account regional considerations;
Amendment 458 #
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 science-based, balanced information with environmental and socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 459 #
24a. Welcomes the trend toward digitalization in the sector and calls on the European Commission to consider the implementation of an EU-wide digital wood-traceability mechanism for data gathering, consistent transparency, ensuring a level playing field, reducing uncompetitive behaviour and deliberate wrongful action in the wood trade, within and outside the EU, through a verification system; further takes the view that such a verification system would improve compliance, limiting and combating financial fraud, while hampering cartel practices and dismantling illegal logging logistical operations and movement; would further encourage exchanges of good practices with Member States which have already implemented such reforms at national level;
Amendment 461 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Reiterates the fact that conservation of high-carbon ecosystems, including forests, represents a response option with immediate impact on climate change, unlike afforestation, reforestation and restoration which take more time to deliver12a; calls for policy actions in the EU to be guided by this principle; _________________ 12a IPCC Climate Change and Land Report-Summary for Policymakers, 2019
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for strict protection prioritizing the protection of primary and old-growth forests with preserved structure, species richness and adequate area where these forests still persists, and enable and facilitate restoration in high- nature value areas mapped or designated for this purpose;
Amendment 465 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Amendment 466 #
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; uUrges the Commission to involve Parliament in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy on an annual basis;
Amendment 474 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Recalls the pledge of the Commission to zero tolerance to non- compliance, stresses that number of infringement cases currently open against the Member states1a address irreplaceable values of European forest ecosystems and urges the Commission to swiftly act in these; _________________ 1a e.g. Case 2018/4076 against Slovakia, Case 2020/2033 against Romania
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Urges the Commission to prioritize effective enforcement of the nature legislation as part of the future Strategies, including the use of its prerogative to ask for a decision ordering interim measures and compel compliance through imposition of sanctions and penalty payments when there is a risk of irreparable damage to invaluable and irreplaceable natural values;